In the Dark
by yunakitty
Summary: Gray gets a new roommate at the inn, who makes curious noises in the night that cause Gray to feel strange... what will happen as the nights progress? CliffxGray yaoi, lemon, boyxboy. Very hot! Lots of sweet, hot, lemony action, and plenty of humor, too!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Of course, I do not own the rights to Harvest Moon

Author's Note: Of course, I do not own the rights to Harvest Moon. All events are fictional.

This is not a spinoff or prequel to my other three interlinked stories. This is an alternate universe Cliff and Gray, not the ones that I wrote about in the other stories. Claire's Cliff did not have a fling with Gray, I promise you! This story was the result of a very hot dream I had. I think it's awesome, and I hope you do, too. Thanks!

I broke this story up into chapters, so it would be easier to read and to tell when there is new content.

In the Dark

Gray was not happy when he got his new roommate at the inn. He wasn't a very sociable person, and it irked him to have to share his room with anyone. But, it was a multi bed room, so he supposed it couldn't be helped, and he sighed in defeat. He looked the newcomer over. His name was Cliff, and he was almost too pretty to be male. That irked Gray too. Why did boys want to look like girls? Cliff's hair was long and brown, pulled back into a ponytail, with blonde at the tips. He had long bangs, that were currently falling into his eyes as he bent over, unpacking his backpack. Gray huffed and turned away. Well, at least this new guy was quiet. He didn't want some blabbermouth irritating him nonstop with a bunch of small talk, day and night.

The next evening, Gray returned to the inn angry. He had a terrible day at work, his grandfather picking on him for every little thing. Gray was just about sick of his grandfather's incessant criticism. He ate dinner in silence, grateful that his roommate also was still not in the mood to talk. Gray was still seething as they turned in for bed. He lay in the dark, running the day's events over in his mind. He started to become even madder, and couldn't fall asleep. He tossed and turned.

Suddenly, he heard noises coming from his roommate's bed, which was just a few feet away. Gray stopped tossing and listened for a moment. Barely audible grunts, a very quiet rhythmic creaking. Gray scowled. The dumb kid was jerking off! He almost rose to tell the guy to knock it off, but something stopped him. Gray personally did his business in the shower, where he was pretty much assured of privacy. But this kid was new, and probably didn't realize that he could be heard. Gray suddenly felt a little sorry for the guy, remembering that Ann said he didn't have any family and was wandering the world alone. The dumb thing was probably lonely, and this was one of his only comforts. Well, whatever, Gray thought, and turned his back on his roommate.

He tried not to listen to the noises, but he couldn't help it. He could hear the guy gasping softly, and he felt himself tingle down there. Gray actually got mad at himself for that, but quickly brushed it off. Well, he smirked to himself, maybe that was a good idea. It might help him blow off some of his frustration. He reached into the gap in the fabric of his boxers, playing with his semi rigid member. It quickly hardened, and he stroked himself, being careful to be silent. He stopped for a moment to snag a tissue from the nightstand, still being as quiet as possible, and then finished the job, pressing his lips together as tightly as he could to keep himself from groaning in ecstasy. He sighed, and was finally able to relax and fall asleep.

The next evening, the two of them had only been in their beds for a few minutes when Gray heard the noises start up again. Gray gaped a little. What, was this guy some kind of freak? Was this going to be an every night thing? It rose up in his mind that he was going to have to tell the guy to shut up after all, but again, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he just lay in the darkness, listening to the muffled sounds of pleasure coming from the other bed. He felt a sudden ache in his groin, and his dick started to get hard again. What the fuck? he thought to himself. What's wrong with me? He tried to ignore the sounds, and just roll over and go to sleep. But he couldn't because his throbbing member was demanding attention. Finally, with a groan of defeat, he pulled his hardness out of his boxers and stroked it rapidly, trying to finish and get it over with as quickly as possible. He gritted his teeth as he climaxed, once again catching his release in a tissue. He rolled over to sleep, the other bed now being silent.

The next night, sure enough, not long after bedtime, the noises began again. Gray bit his lip, trying to fight the feelings he was having, but he eventually gave in, his hand finding himself.

The next evening, Gray actually found himself listening in keen anticipation for the noises to start. He lay in the darkness, but all he was met with was silence. What seemed like hours passed, and Gray began to get more and more worked up, his whole body tingling, his dick longing to be touched. But the noises didn't start. Gray scowled in the dark. Fucking tease, he though to himself. Well, whatever. He wasn't going to let that stop him. He reached down and grabbed himself roughly, pulling at himself in desire. This time, he wasn't quite as careful to be quiet. He grunted deeply as he worked himself. He was thrilled to suddenly hear noises from the other bed. At first just a rustling of covers, but it was soon followed by sighs and groans. Gray was so pleased, that he released right then, his frustration satisfied. As he cleaned himself up, he heard what he believed to be his roommate climax as well. The other bed squeaked at a furious pace, and then Gray heard quick, gasping breaths followed by a long groan. Gray sighed to himself, and then fell asleep.

Throughout the next day, all Gray could think about was going to bed. He and his roommate still didn't speak to each other during the day, staying silent during meals and avoiding each other's gaze. That was fine with Gray. It wasn't like he wanted to get all kissy face with the jerk. It was just a little harmless fun at night.

He happily turned into bed that night, quickly followed by his roommate. Gray's body tingled with suspense, wondering if the other guy would start the action first, or if he would have to again. His wondering was quickly answered as he heard the other bed begin to creak. Gray licked his dry lips and shoved his hand down his pajama pants, playing with himself until he was hard. Then he stroked hungrily at himself. He usually did his business turned away from his roommate, but this time, he lay on his back. He watched the other guy out of the corner of his eye. He could barely see him in the moonlight, but he could make out that he was also laying on his back. Gray moaned a little to himself as he saw the other's sheets bobbing up and down. He suddenly realized that he wanted to see the other guy's dick; he wanted to see his face as he climaxed. These overwhelming erotic thoughts forced a sudden and strong release out of Gray, and he cried out in ecstasy. His roommate quickly finished up as well, and as Gray dropped the tissue in the wastebasket between their beds, he thought he caught just a hint of a smile of the other's face.


	2. Chapter 2

The next night, both guys went to bed as soon as it got dark outside

The next night, both guys went to bed as soon as it got dark outside. Gray slid under the sheets, then turned to face toward the other bed. He was startled to see his roommate do the same. Gray squirmed in pleasure, but kept his eyes off the other's face. They both kept their sheets thrown back. Gray fixed his eyes below his roommate's waist, watching in rapture as he tugged his boxers below his hips. Suddenly, his erection was free, and Gray groaned in desire as he stared at it. It was longer yet narrower than his own. Gray's mouth watered as he eased his own boxers down, exposing himself to the other guy. He heard a pleased gasp come from his roommate, and that was all the encouragement he needed to begin pumping his hand up and down on himself. He saw the other guy quickly flick open a small tube of something, squeeze a little in his hand, and then begin working. Gray tingled, thinking about what it would feel like to stroke himself with whatever that was. He always used his dry hand, being careful not to chafe himself, but he was sure that stuff like that made it even more pleasurable.

He watched the way the other guy touched himself. He seemed to like to make long strokes over the whole length, then bring his hand to the head for a moment and squeeze there, then resume making long strokes. Gray personally liked to rub lightly up and down his shaft with his knuckles, then stroke up and down with his whole hand. Gray was mesmerized by the movement of the other's hand. Watching his roommate touch himself was so incredibly arousing, that he soon felt the pressure building up, and he shuddered as he released into a tissue. He caught his breath, his body still awash in aftershock, and watched as the other climaxed. Gray's eyes darted back and forth from his roommate's face as it contorted in pleasure, then to his dick, as it dribbled hot liquid into a tissue. Gray moaned in ecstasy, stared for a while longer as the other guy cleaned himself up, then rolled over and went to sleep.

The next night, as usual, Gray was dying for bedtime. He and his roommate returned to their room together, still not speaking to each other. They changed for bed with their backs turned, hesitant to look at each other with the lights on. Gray turned off the lamp, and they both slipped into bed. Gray lay for a moment, trembling in pleasurable anticipation. He turned himself again towards the other bed, and his roommate also moved to face him. Gray reached down and removed his boxers completely, and the other guy mirrored the action. Gray lightly stroked his already hard member. Cliff squeezed some of that stuff from the tube in his hand, and started to stroke himself as well. They both groaned as they watched each other, then suddenly Cliff broke off his motions, swinging his legs forward. He stood up and moved towards Gray's bed. Startled, Gray turned away. His roommate climbed into the single bed behind him, the narrowness of the bed forcing them close together. Gray was completely stunned, scared but thrilled. He was too shocked to speak or resist as Cliff reached around and grasped his hardness. Gray tensed up, but quickly relaxed as he felt his roommate's slippery hand slide up and down his length. It felt heavenly, and Gray moaned in pleasure. He could feel the other's hardness pressing into his back, grinding hungrily into him. Gray could feel Cliff's breath on his neck, which somehow made him even more aroused. Cliff squeezed Gray's member, then ran his knuckles lightly up and down the shaft. A thrill ran through Gray's body as he realized Cliff had been paying close attention to his preferences. His roommate had a soft touch, and Gray longed for him to grip him more firmly, even to yank on him. However, it was still more than enough, and soon was gritting his teeth and groaning from his very core as Cliff made him climax heavily. Gray moved his hand to catch the hot, thick liquid the best he could as it pulsed erratically from his body. Cliff pulled away for a moment, grabbing a tissue for Gray, who took it and cleaned himself up.

They lay there for a moment, Gray unsure of what to do next. Slowly, they both rotated in the bed so that Gray was now behind Cliff. He reached around tentatively, and his hand quickly found his roommate's hardness. It was still slick from before, and Gray worked it gently at first, then with increasing pressure. Cliff moaned and squirmed under his firm touch. Gray tried to return the favor by doing what he had seen Cliff do to himself, stroking the entire length and then squeezing the head. Gray could feel his own already satisfied member becoming hard again as Cliff writhed against him. He could tell Cliff was getting close, so he made strong, even strokes until Cliff began gasping and moaning in ecstasy. Cliff already had a tissue ready and he caught his own release, shuddering in pleasure. They lay together, savoring the moment, then Cliff returned to his own bed without a word.

All the next day, all Gray could think about was the pleasure he had experienced the night before. It felt so wrong, but it felt so good that he just didn't care. He wished the hours of the day away, and before long, it was nightfall again. He changed out of his one piece jumpsuit into a t-shirt and boxers, and climbed into bed, still careful to avoid looking at his roommate. He lay with his back to Cliff, and felt his desire building up as he heard the rustling of Cliff removing his clothing. He could hear Cliff walk to the door and lock it, and that action sent a hot thrill through Gray's body. Still not looking, he heard Cliff walk back to where their beds were, turn out the light, and get into his own bed.

They lay in the darkness, listening to each other's heavy breathing. Gray's fingers wandered to his manhood, and he played with it nervously. He heard the other bed creaking in a rhythm and turned to watch as Cliff stroked himself. Gray became very aroused and picked up the pace on himself, stroking furiously, hot with desire. Suddenly Cliff stood up again and came to Gray's bed. Gray turned away again, because the position seemed to make the most sense in the small bed. Cliff climbed in behind him. He placed his hand on Gray's hips and squeezed there lightly. He slid his hand down to Gray's butt, making him tingle all over in both pleasure and fright. He didn't want to do THAT…well, he didn't think so. But Cliff's hand kept moving, coming to the back of Gray's thighs, where they met together. He parted the flesh there just slightly and nudged the tip of his slick hardness into the tight space. Gray moaned, realizing what Cliff was doing. He clamped his thighs a little tighter together as Cliff pushed himself in and out of the space.

At the same time, Cliff reached around and gripped Gray's hardness. His hand wasn't as slick this time, but it still felt incredible as he stroked. He began slowly at first, but increased his speed. His thrusting between Gray's thighs kept the same rhythm. Cliff suddenly squeezed Gray very tightly, almost hard enough to be painful. Gray was startled, but realized by the frantic bucking of his roommate's hips that he was coming. Cliff shuddered hard and groaned very deeply, spurting out over Gray's skin. Cliff paused for a moment, catching his breath and relishing the feeling of release. Then he traced his fingers in the wetness, getting his hand slick with it, and grasped Gray's hardness once again. The wonderful feeling of wet friction was too much for Gray, and he quickly climaxed, moaning in ecstasy. They carefully broke apart, and Cliff returned to his own bed.

The next day, Gray was even more consumed by erotic thoughts. Even though he was being brought to satisfaction every night, somehow each experience just stoked a fire in him, making him want more and more. The day seemed to drag by. They ate their dinner in silence as usual. Gray did offer little half smile as he sat down at the table, which was returned by Cliff, but Gray quickly pulled his hat low on his eyes, a little embarrassed. He couldn't help but get a little turned on during the meal watching Cliff's hands. He imagined those hands moving over him, touching him, teasing him. Gray squirmed a little in his seat as he felt himself getting hard, and he admonished himself to calm down.

Finally, it was bedtime. Gray was already so turned on, that he felt a little bold. He switched the lights out, then climbed immediately into Cliff's bed with him. He heard a little squeak from his roommate, whose breathing became heavy as he rotated himself carefully in his bed, turning his back to Gray. Gray's hands tugged at Cliff's boxers, urging them off. Cliff complied, and then Gray guided his own hardness in between Cliff's thighs. It was slightly moist in between with perspiration, and Gray moaned as he thrust into it. Cliff pressed his legs together tightly, increasing the friction for Gray, who just grunted in pleasure.

Realizing that he was being rude by only paying attention to his own needs, Gray reached around, feeling for Cliff's hardness. He ran his fingers up and down it lightly, making Cliff sigh happily. Then Gray encircled his fingers and began stroking as he continued to pump in and out of Cliff's thighs. Cliff squirmed and reached under his pillow, getting the little tube and squeezing some onto the tip of his manhood. Gray brought his hand up to the top, both squeezing the head like Cliff liked, and getting his hand slick. They both groaned as they pleasured each other. Gray's touch was firm and insistent, and Cliff quickly buckled, coming hard. Gray smirked, pleased, and then thrust with more vigor as he also brought himself to climax. He rubbed his body against Cliff's a little more, then returned to his own bed.


	3. Chapter 3

The next evening, they both lay in their beds, feeling aroused, but both waiting for the other to make the first move

The next evening, they both lay in their beds, feeling aroused, but both waiting for the other to make the first move. Cliff finally was the one to cave, standing up and walking over to Gray's bed. Gray smirked to himself, starting to turn on his side, but his roommate stopped him. He urged him silently to lie on his back, and Gray trembled with desire, wondering what was going to happen. Cliff straddled him at his knees. Gray could hear Cliff panting in the darkness as he tugged down on Gray's boxers. He was already hard, and Cliff gripped it with both hands, massaging it lightly. Gray moaned quietly, thrusting his hips up at Cliff, wanting more.

Suddenly, Cliff's head moved down towards Gray's hardness. Gray gasped in surprise and pleasure as he felt Cliff's lips press against his throbbing member. He slowly parted them, and his tongue crept out, teasing Gray. Gray groaned in pleasurable frustration as he bucked his hips up towards Cliff's mouth, trying to get him to do more. Cliff complied, opening his mouth wider and taking the head inside. Gray's eyes rolled back in his head in pure ecstasy. It was so warm, so wet, so good. Cliff sucked lightly, then with more force. He moved further down Gray's length, his lips sliding against Gray's flesh. Gray whined at the sensation. He reached down and pressed on the back of Cliff's head, urging him to take more. Gray could feel the reverberation of a muffled sound on his hardness, then Cliff took even more of Gray in. Gray moaned and writhed in pleasure. Cliff came back up and sucked on the head, squeezing and stroking the rest of Gray's length with his hand. Gray gritted his teeth, then his hand flew to his mouth to muffle the cry of ecstasy as he released, spilling into Cliff's mouth. Cliff swallowed and pulled away. Gray melted back into the sheets, almost delirious with pleasure.

He slowly became aware that Cliff was still there, waiting expectantly, his hand on Gray's thigh. Oh fuck, Gray thought. My turn. He wasn't really sure that he wanted to do that. He didn't mind getting it, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it. He grumbled a little to himself, then realized that it was only fair. He stood up, pulling his boxers back on, and Cliff replaced him on the bed. Gray felt so nervous, not sure what to do, so he just mimicked Cliff's actions from before, straddling him at the knees. He pulled at Cliff's boxers, exposing his erection. Gray took a deep breath, then though, here goes nothing. He grabbed at Cliff's hardness and then leaned down quickly, covering it with his mouth. A stifled cry of pleasure came out of Cliff, and Gray was encouraged to continue. He was surprised at the taste – he wasn't sure what he thought it was going to taste like, but it was definitely better than he expected, which was a relief. He moved his mouth up and down on it, raking his teeth against the firm flesh. Cliff continued to whimper with desire, and Gray gripped him in his hand and stroked his hand up and down in the same rhythm as he worked his mouth. Gray wasn't sure if he was doing it right, until Cliff shuddered underneath him. A hot rush filled up the back of Gray's mouth, and he pulled away in surprise. He flailed out, grabbing at the tissues, and spit out what he had in his mouth. No way am I swallowing that, sticking out his tongue as he deposited the tissue in the trash. Cliff just gave a soft laugh at the scene, then Gray returned to his own bed.

Night fell once more, and Cliff and Gray were hungry for each other. Gray clicked off the lamp, then climbed into Cliff's narrow bed. Cliff started to turn his back to him, but Gray held him firmly, making Cliff face him. He reached down and tugged at the waistband of Cliff's boxers, urging him to take them off, and as Cliff did what Gray wanted, Gray removed his own boxers. Gray's hardness brushed up against Cliff's hardness, and Gray groaned at the sensation. Cliff produced the tube of slippery stuff, and quickly coated both of them in it. They lay pressed together, so that their manhoods were touching, and Cliff moved his hand over both of them at the same time. Gray just moaned in ecstasy. Cliff brought his hand away slowly, and reached for Gray's hand. He led it back to their arousal, and Gray got the hint, pumping his hand over both of them at the same time. Cliff bit his lip and hissed with desire at the feeling of it.

Their faces were very close. Gray was enticed, thinking of the way Cliff's lips would feel pressing against his own. As if he read Gray's mind, Cliff leaned in and caught his mouth in a rough kiss. Gray blushed heavily, but enjoyed it. There was something even more intimate in the kiss than what they had been doing to each other all these nights. Cliff nibbled at Gray's lower lip, then parted his lips and thrust his tongue into Gray's mouth. Gray responded, thrusting his tongue back at Cliff. They both struggled to gain control of the kiss, making it spiral out of control in a frenzy of passion.

Before long, Gray had pushed himself on top of Cliff, kissing him furiously. Cliff moaned into his mouth as Gray straddled above him, alternating fondling Cliff's hardness with stroking with own. Gray broke away from the kiss and pulled up a little bit as he realized he was already at the edge, and he gripped himself roughly as he released. His come spurted out and landed on Cliff's stomach and chest. Gray pulled at himself, squeezing out the last little drops of pleasure from himself. He reached for a tissue and cleaned up the mess he had made of Cliff, then tentatively resumed stroking him. Cliff groaned and worked his body so that now he was above Gray. He brought his own hand to himself, making Gray let go of it, and pumped up and down for a few moments before splashing his own release all over Gray. Gray groaned in sheer ecstasy, overwhelmed by the sensation of the hot liquid on his skin. Gray cleaned himself up, and then wriggled out from underneath Cliff, returning to his own bed.

The next day, Gray shuffled back to the inn, slumped over. He had just had the worst day of his life. They had been overwhelmed at work, and Gray made a fatal error on a tool, damaging it irrevocably. His grandfather screamed at him, letting him get every little bit of his wrath. He told Gray that he was useless, a failure, not worth the time and training. Gray kept hearing these comments echoing over and over in his head, and he became more and more depressed. He slunk into the inn, heading towards the stairs. He thought he saw Cliff sitting at the bar out of the corner of his eye, but he was too down right now to even care. He walked up the steps, sighing deeply, his chest aching in despair. Gray reached the bedroom, turned off the lights, and threw his hat on the floor. He crawled in his bed, laying on top of the covers, still in his one piece uniform. He lay for a while, his eyes burning, and then he fell asleep out of utter exhaustion.

When he woke up a few hours later, it was already dark outside. He slowly became aware of himself, still groggy, and he realized that someone was laying behind him, arms around his waist. He knew without looking that it was Cliff, and at first he tried to struggle a little to get away. He didn't want to cuddle with this guy. But something about it felt so warm and comforting, that he finally lay still, letting himself relax into the bed. They lay in silence. Cliff nuzzled Gray's neck for a moment, sending a happy thrill through his body. Then Cliff reached around, unzipping Gray's one piece. He helped Gray wriggle out of it, and Gray was left wearing nothing but his boxers. Gray turned to face Cliff in the bed. He wanted to do something, anything, to get his mind out of this slump, but he felt so physically and emotionally exhausted, that he just lay there. Cliff seemed to be able to read this on his face, and simply eased his own boxers down. He stroked himself as Gray watched, mesmerized, his face relaxing a little bit. Cliff panted and groaned, working himself towards climax. He finally released, shooting a strong stream of come into a tissue, and Gray sighed, satisfied.

But Cliff wasn't done yet. After he caught his breath, he leaned forward to Gray, planting a light kiss on his lips. Then he pushed Gray gently onto his back, and kissed his way down Gray's bare chest, all the way to the waistband of his boxers. He tugged them off and took Gray's hardness into his mouth, sucking on it gently. Gray moaned softly, tilting his head back and enjoying the sensation. Every tired muscle in his body relaxed more with each second that Cliff sucked on him. Cliff rubbed his hands up and down the sides of Gray's body as he worked, thrilling Gray even more. Gray cried out in pleasure as Cliff swirled his tongue around and around the head, then moved back down, taking the entire thing in his mouth. That pushed Gray over the edge and he exploded in Cliff's mouth, waves and waves of hot ecstasy washing over him. Cliff swallowed and then brought his mouth off, lapping out his tongue to get one last drop that was left. He pulled himself to lay beside Gray, who was shuddering with delight. Cliff traced his fingers over Gray's bare stomach, then pressed one last kiss on the side of Gray's neck, and silently returned to his own bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Gray rose bright and early the next day

Gray rose bright and early the next day. He arrived at the shop way before he was supposed to, and got right to work. His grandfather didn't say anything at this, just raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed at Gray's resilience and resolve. Gray just wanted to prove to his grandfather that he was not a failure, and he threw himself into his work whole heartedly. At the end of the day, he was rewarded with a gruff, "Good job, boy." He felt elated to have redeemed himself, and went back to the inn happy. He saw Cliff in the main area of the inn, and tilted his hat at him. Cliff just gaped at him for a moment, shocked to be greeted by him, and then nodded back. Gray smirked a little, then went up to his room.

Cliff came into the room as well not long after, locking the door behind him. He shut off the lights, though it was still lighter in the room than usual, since it was not quite dark outside yet. Gray was sitting on his bed taking off his shoes, and he looked up at Cliff, raising his eyebrows. Cliff sat down next to him quietly, so close that their thighs were touching. He brought his hand to Gray's knee and scratched his fingers there lightly, and Gray shuddered. Cliff then slid his hand up Gray's thigh, past his waist, up over his chest, finally reaching the back of his neck. He played with the short hair there for a moment, then brought his hand to the front of his hat, pulling it off. He laid it on the nightstand, then his fingers explored the rest of Gray's hair. Gray was breathing heavily, nervous.

Cliff leaned in and pressed his lips to Gray's. Gray didn't respond at first, but Cliff kept pressing insistently until Gray groaned in defeat and parted his lips. Their tongues danced together. Gray brought his hands to Cliff's shoulders, pushing him down on the bed. He layered himself heavily on top of Cliff, and continued to kiss him feverishly. Cliff sighed happily as Gray propped himself up on one elbow, and ran his fingers through Cliff's hair with his free hand. Cliff moved his hands over Gray's sides, feeling the rough material of his jumpsuit. He brought his hands to Gray's neck, and untied the neckerchief there. Gray broke away from Cliff's mouth to kiss at his neck. His lips were hot and wet, and he flicked his tongue out to lick briefly at the skin there. He nibbled lightly at Cliff's ear, sucking on his earlobe and tracing his tongue over it. Gray panted in his ear, causing Cliff to get goosebumps all over his body. He moaned in pleasure, and  
Gray moved to the other side of his neck, kissing there as well.

Meanwhile, Gray had gotten very hard, and he was grinding himself against Cliff. Cliff reached around and pressed his hands into Gray's lower back, urging him to rub harder. Gray gritted his teeth and complied, and suddenly a look of surprise flashed over his face. He groaned and bucked his hips rapidly, waves of pleasure surging over him as the friction caused him to come. He caught his breath, still laying on Cliff, then pulled away. Cliff sat up as well and unzipped his jumpsuit, helping him out of it. Gray's boxers were soaked from his release, and Cliff tugged those off as well. Gray was still trembling with pleasure when Cliff took him by surprise, licking the slippery release off of his body. Gray whimpered and shuddered as Cliff cleaned every inch he could.

When he was done, Cliff stood up and removed his own clothing. He walked the few feet to his own bed, lying on it and reaching for the lube. Gray followed him, lying down face to face with him. Cliff slicked himself up, and then urged Gray to touch him. Gray encircled Cliff's hardness with his fingers, and began to stroke. Their mouths met for another passionate kiss. Gray broke away for a second, glancing down at his own member, which had recovered and was already hard again. Cliff smiled, reaching for it and stroking rapidly. Gray worked himself slightly above Cliff, and caught his mouth again, slipping his tongue inside. Cliff sucked at his tongue, then broke away with a moan and several broken cries of pleasure as Gray's stroking made him explode. The release spurted up onto his stomach, and as he continued to squeeze at him, Gray quickly followed, splashing his release on Cliff's stomach as well. Cliff laughed softly at the double mess, and Gray grabbed some tissues to wipe it up. He threw them away and then settled into bed next to Cliff. Cliff nestled himself in the crook of Gray's shoulder, and fell asleep listening to the beating of his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sunlight crept into the room at the crack of dawn. Gray winced as it pierced his eyelids. He didn't want to get up, but he knew that he had to, or have to face his grandfather's wrath for being late. He carefully wiggled his way out of Cliff's arms, trying to not to wake him. He paused as Cliff stirred slightly, murmuring softly in his sleep. Gray sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, looking down on him, then finally stood up with a slight smile on his face.

Gray got ready for work, zipping himself into a clean jumpsuit. He sat down on the edge of his own bed and laced up his boots, trying to be as quiet as possible. He looked over at Cliff, who was still sleeping, turned away, with the covers pulled down to his waist. His long brown hair was messy from sleep, and it spilled out over his bare back and onto the sheets. Gray stared for a while longer, then compelled himself to leave for work.

He paused in the doorway for a moment, then sharply turned around and walked back to Cliff's bed as quickly and noiselessly as he could. He couldn't stop himself from stooping by the bed and brushing his lips against Cliff's cheek. Cliff's eyelashes fluttered and he smiled in his sleep. Gray then departed for work.

Things at work went smoothly. When he had finished up all his own work, his grandfather asked him if he could go, but come back in about an hour or so. Gray raised his eyebrows, and Saibara explained that he needed to finish a few things, then he wanted to begin teaching Gray a new technique. Gray nodded enthusiastically, then turned to go.

He wandered the streets of Mineral Town for a while, wondering what to do with himself. He didn't want to go back to the inn right then, because if Cliff was there and was also free from work at that moment…then he might not make it back to the shop in time. His aimless feet brought him to a building. He looked up at the sign, squinting in the bright afternoon sun. It was a library. He shrugged, figuring it was a good of a place as any to waste time, and pushed open the heavy wooden door with one arm, and went in.

His eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light. It smelled musty inside, but it didn't really bother him. He liked that it was absolutely silent inside. He glanced at the mousy librarian, who didn't even look up from her book, and that was even better. He didn't want somebody bothering him, talking to him, trying to help him find a book. He just wanted to wander the shelves and enjoy the silence.

Gray paced the library slowly, looking up at the titles of the books. Many of them were about plants, which did not interest him in the least. His eyes continued to scan the shelves, and he came across a large book about minerals. That was a subject that did interest him, since he worked with various metals and gems. He pulled out the book, and sat down on a nearby chair.

Gray flipped through the dusty pages, but quickly became bored with the old style language and faded photographs. He closed the book firmly, then stood to put it back on the top shelf. As he did, however, he could feel something obstructing it at the top. He tried to just shove the book up there anyway, but it wouldn't go. What a pain in the ass, he thought. He sighed heavily, laying the book on the chair, and then reached up to see what was blocking the space. His hand felt something rough and hard, and he pulled it down. It was a very dusty book with a brown cover and no title. Curious, he put the book about minerals back on the shelf and sat down with the other book.

He cracked it open and began to read. His heart rate quickened as he realized it was a book about sex. It was written in a slightly dry, medical way, but it was enlightening to Gray nonetheless. He had never had much sex education in his life, because he had never listened when anyone tried to talk about it, and he wasn't the type to ask about it, either. He flipped past the parts that didn't interest him, finally coming to the section about male anatomy. He read the whole chapter, then looked back at the table of contents. Sure enough, the next to last chapter was what he was looking for. He flipped to the correct page, and read, his eyes getting wider and wider, his brain struggling to absorb all the information. He started to feel very aroused, and had to shift in the chair. He bit his lip, mesmerized by the words on the page.

Suddenly Gray snapped to, becoming aware of himself. He had to get back to the shop now. He shoved the book back on the shelf, and hurried back to the workshop. He made it there on time to work on the new technique with his grandfather, and it took everything he had to keep his mind focused on what was in front of him. The rest would have to wait.

When he made it back to the inn, he hurried up to his room. It was just before sunset, and as he entered the room, he heard the shower running. He smirked to himself, then locked the door and quickly shed his clothes. He strode into the bathroom, parting the curtain slightly and slipping inside. Cliff whirled around, opening his mouth to say something, maybe to protest, but Gray pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

Cliff relaxed his body as Gray moved in for a kiss, the warm water splashing over both of them. He urged his tongue into Cliff's mouth, his hands sliding over his body, the arousal from earlier in the day returning twofold. Cliff just sighed into Gray's mouth, letting him back him against the hard tile wall. Gray pulled away from Cliff's mouth, working his lips down Cliff's body.

"I missed you," Gray whispered, making Cliff shudder at the sound of his voice. It was throaty and deep, and very masculine.

Cliff shut his eyes tightly, groaning softly with anticipation. He was already hard when Gray dropped to his knees in front of him, and took him into his mouth. Cliff pressed his own hand over his mouth to keep from crying out with pleasure, as Gray sucked forcefully at him. Gray wrapped one strong hand around Cliff's shaft, and worked it in the same rhythm as his mouth.

Meanwhile, Gray's other hand slid up between Cliff's legs, and around the back of his thigh. Cliff trembled slightly as Gray's fingertip traced near his entrance. Gray gently pushed his finger inside, and Cliff clamped his hand tightly over his mouth to keep from screaming.

Gray quickly looked up at Cliff, unwrapping his lips from him. "Does it hurt?"

Cliff looked down at him, water dripping from his long bangs. He shook his head, then closed his eyes and leaned back into the wall. Gray continued to work at him, trying to remember the things that he had read. He looked up at Cliff, enjoying the overwhelmed looks on his face. Suddenly, Cliff's eyes flew open, then closed tightly again as he moaned , a powerful orgasm rushing out of him. His fists pounded against the wet tile, and he slid down the wall, as Gray pulled away to spit down the drain.

Cliff sank to a sitting position, his knees bent up in front of him, his face still awash in ecstasy. He looked at Gray's hardness, then motioned with his head towards the bedroom. Gray quickly shut off the tap, and they dried off quickly and hurried towards Cliff's bed. Cliff carefully slicked Gray up, and Gray looked him in the eyes. "Are you sure…?" he whispered. Cliff nodded as he lay back on the bed, bending his legs and tilting his hips up at Gray.

Gray positioned himself over Cliff, and then carefully pressed himself inside. He groaned in delight at the sensation. It was so tight and warm. Cliff turned his head sideways on the pillow, whimpering with pleasure, as Gray moved in and out of him. Gray couldn't believe how wonderful it felt, and he could feel the pressure building up inside of him. He lowered his head and gave a low groan as he exploded inside of Cliff, who moaned and squirmed at the wonderful feeling. Gray carefully lowered his body, pressing his lips against Cliff's, as they lay trembling, and tried to recover.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A week later, as Gray lazily watched Cliff undress for bed, they were both startled to hear the rattle of a key in the door. They looked at the door, then at each other. What was going on? Ann never let herself in the room. She cleaned it during the day while they were out. As Cliff quickly pulled his shirt back on, they could hear her cheerful voice talking to someone.

"…three beds. I hope you don't mind roommates!"

A man's voice responded. "Nah, no big deal."

The door swung open, revealing Ann smiling widely, gesturing for the unknown man to enter the room. She waved at Cliff and Gray, who were sitting on their own beds, facing away from each other, trying not to look guilty. "Hey, you two. You're going to have another roommate for the summer! This is Kai."

Kai stepped into the room. He was tall and tan, with a bandanna on his head and a carefree manner. "'Sup, guys? I'll be running the snack shack at the beach this summer." Cliff and Gray both nodded silently at him, and Kai looked slightly puzzled.

Ann leaned in and lowered her voice. "They're both really shy, and they don't talk that much."

Kai shrugged. "Ah, that's cool. 'Cause I like to talk a lot. Hope you guys like to listen!"

Cliff and Gray caught each other's eye for a second, and the message between them was clear.

Oh, shit.

The next few days were miserable. It was not quite summer yet, so the snack shack wasn't open. Kai spent a lot of time out and about on the town, but he came back to the room unexpectedly throughout the day. Cliff and Gray soon found that there was no way to get any privacy. They didn't even dare go in the bathroom together, because what if Kai saw them come out at the same time? They couldn't risk it.

They were both going mad with desire. One evening, as Kai lay back on his bed and rambled on and on about the last town he was in, Gray accidentally brushed against Cliff's arm while putting something in the drawer. Cliff moaned softly because he wanted Gray so badly, and Gray had to grit his teeth, using every bit of his resolve not to jump Cliff right then and there, Kai be damned.

That night, Kai went out drinking at the bar with some friends he had made. Cliff and Gray lay in bed and whispered back and forth, arguing about whether they should try to do anything. Cliff whined and begged, but Gray was firm that it was too big of a risk.

Cliff's eyes glittered in the darkness, and he licked his lips hungrily. "Then let's just do it like old times." As he spoke, he eased his boxers down and began touching himself, groaning with desire. He was hidden under the covers, but Gray knew what he was doing, and gasped.

"Dumb ass! W-what if he walks in?" Gray sputtered.

"We'll just stop. He can't see anything…it'll be fine," Cliff purred at Gray between moans as he stroked himself. "Please…I need it so bad…I need to hear you…" Cliff begged. Gray groaned in defeat and grasped his aching hardness roughly, pulling at it.

"Mmmm…" Cliff moaned. "I want you so bad."

"I want you too," Gray whispered, his breathing becoming labored as his passion built up.

"I want to taste you…" Cliff hissed through the darkness.

"Oh, don't…" Gray groaned. "You're driving me crazy... damn it…" The sound of Cliff whispering things at him just spurred him on, and he easily climaxed. Cliff gasped happily, picking up the pace on himself and releasing soon after. They cleaned up and lay in the darkness, catching their breath and gazing at each other.

"I wish I could hold you," Cliff whispered at Gray.

Gray sighed, rolling his eyes back in his head. "I know…I wish summer was over already! Fuck summer!"

Kai stumbled in from the bar not long after. "Damn…it smells weird in here…like pancake batter…maybe Ann's making pancakes. I'm starving! Pancakes!" He stumbled back out of the room, in search of non-existent breakfast foods, sure to only be rewarded with a scolding from Ann. Cliff stifled a laugh, then hurriedly jumped up, stepping across to Gray's bed. He threw his arms around Gray's neck and kissed him firmly, silencing Gray's stuttered protests, then retreated to his own bed, snuggling under the covers.

"Just an innocent little kiss…that's all…" Cliff trailed off as he fell asleep. Gray smiled softly and went to sleep himself.

They continued to lust fruitlessly for each other in the coming days. At least Kai would stay out late drinking and come home so drunk that he passed out snoring on his own bed, oblivious to what they were doing. They were at least able to watch each other from their own beds. But they longed to pleasure each other, and the never ending anticipation was killing them. They dared not risk sharing a bed and getting caught.

Finally, the announcement they had longed for arrived. Kai was opening the snack shack! "I'll have the grand opening tomorrow. Every one in town is invited to the all you can eat buffet!"

Gray cleared his throat. "How long is this event going on for…?"

Kai grinned. "All day! Yeah, sunup to past sundown." Gray just nodded, glancing at Cliff, whose eyes were glittering, and not at the idea of free food.

Gray rose before either of the other men the next morning, heading into the shop and working with all his might to do a good job. His grandfather noticed the increased effort, and complimented him on it. Gray smirked to himself. If only he knew the true reason for his enthusiasm! He finished up work at 1pm, and headed back to the inn, a spring in his step.

Gray rushed up the stairs, barreling into the bedroom. Cliff was already in there, just emerging from the shower. Their eyes met, and Gray backed up slightly to lock the door.

"He's gone! I even went to the stupid buffet thing to make sure he's staying all day," Cliff said, and with that they rushed forward to each other. Gray snatched the towel from around Cliff's waist as his mouth layered over Cliff's. Gray's tongue plunged practically down Cliff's throat, and Cliff moaned happily in surprise and pleasure.

Gray shed his jumpsuit and boxers as quickly as he could between kisses. "I need you," he managed to whisper, and Cliff allowed himself to be forced back onto the bed. They kissed each other furiously, their hands moving frantically over each other's bodies. Cliff kissed a trail down Gray's chest as he urged him up onto his knees, and then he bent awkwardly and took Gray's hardness into his mouth. Gray groaned in delight, pushing Cliff's head to take him deeper. Cliff willingly complied, sucking at him desperately, his free hand finding himself and stroking lightly. Gray climaxed heavily, spurting powerfully into the back of Cliff's throat, and Cliff swallowed happily, pulling away and licking his lips delightedly.

Gray was still trembling terribly with pleasure, but managed to push Cliff onto his back, covering his hardness with his lips, licking and kissing furiously. Cliff hissed and whimpered in ecstasy, raking his fingers through Gray's short hair. Gray also stroked Cliff's long manhood with his fingers, making Cliff shudder with delight. A low groan began to emit from Cliff. "Oh, Gray, Gray, Gray…" he repeated over and over as he released into his mouth. Much to his delight and surprise, Gray swallowed enthusiastically.

They collapsed together on the bed, still murmuring and writhing together as they slipped between the sheets. It didn't take long before they were both hard again, and Cliff spread lube over both of their manhoods. He urged Gray to enter him from behind, and they both groaned with pleasure as Gray pumped in and out of him. Gray reached around and slid his strong hand over Cliff. Cliff moaned in delight at the double pleasure of being taken from behind and having his hardness stroked. Gray's moved in a staccato rhythm as he neared his second climax, and he grasped at Cliff roughly. Cliff gritted his teeth as Gray's pounding and fondling forced a powerful orgasm out of him, and Gray quickly followed, releasing deep inside of Cliff.

They carefully pulled apart and lowered onto the bed, kissing lazily at each other's necks. Gray pulled away to look Cliff in the eyes. "I love you," he whispered.

Cliff sighed happily. "I love you, too," he whispered back, and they held each other, satisfied.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As Kai became busy with his restaurant, Cliff and Gray were finally able to enjoy some privacy once again. They had to alter their schedules slightly, however. Kai usually set out to open the snack shack at 10 am, then returned to the inn a little past 7 pm. Cliff and Gray struggled to finish their work and be able to meet each other in the bedroom at least by 5 or 6 pm. Sometimes things got in the way, but more often than not, they were able to spend time together.

Unless they were feeling particularly brave on any given day, they usually conducted their business in the bathroom. That way, they could lock it from the inside. Kai didn't have a key for that. He hadn't yet come home unexpectedly in the middle of the day, but they figured better safe than sorry, and they did their bests to keep their voices down as they pleasured each other in the shower each evening. The running water also helped to muffle any sounds that they might make in the heat of the moment.

One afternoon, they did attempt to do it in Cliff's bed, but Gray was so skittish and jumpy at every little noise he imagined he heard outside the door, that they finally had to retreat to the shower after all. Cliff locked the door behind them, as Gray turned on the tap with shaking hands. Cliff turned back to his blonde friend, hugging him from behind and nuzzling his neck comfortingly. "Relax," he purred.

They stepped under the water together and Gray did indeed relax, letting Cliff kneel in front of him and take his thick hardness into his mouth. Gray stifled a groan as Cliff caressed behind his legs gently, then slipped a finger in and stimulated him from inside. Gray shut his eyes, tangling his fingers in Cliff's hair as Cliff bobbed his head up and down on him. Gray gritted his teeth, overpowered with incredible sensations, and finally released into Cliff's willing mouth. Cliff smiled lazily as he swallowed, then slowly stood, stroking his own engorged member.

Gray took a deep breath, regaining his composure, and then he pushed Cliff up against the wall, facing it. He snatched up the washcloth, soaping it up and then moving it down Cliff's back. Cliff moaned in delight as Gray cleaned him very well, then let the water rinse the soap off. Gray then kneeled behind him, parting his flesh slightly and slipping his tongue in between. Cliff whimpered in pleasure as his eyes rolled back in his head. His chest pressed up against the hard tile, and he brought his hand down to his throbbing hardness, pumping at it as Gray teased him with his tongue. It didn't take long before he was spurting out onto the tile wall in front of him. He caught his breath as Gray gently kissed at the back of his thighs, then they rinsed everything off and emerged from the shower.

They had a little "safety measure" planned out for the unlikely event that Kai or anyone else might be in their bedroom when they tried to come out of the bathroom. One of them would come out, while the other would hide behind the door and wait for the word that it was clear. They were doing just that, when Cliff stepped out into the bedroom and squeaked as he saw Kai there.

"Oh, it's you," Kai said, looking disappointed. "I was looking for Gray, and Ann said he had already come home. Do you know where he is?"

Cliff's heart pounded as he started to feel panic press down on his chest. He clutched nervously at the towel around his waist. "No! He's not here!"

Kai frowned and shrugged. "Too bad. I just need him to come take a look at the ice shaver at the snack shack. It's all seized up and I need someone good at that kind of stuff to take a look at it."

Cliff swallowed hard. "If…if I see him, I'll tell him to go there."

Kai grinned. "All right, man, thanks. I'll keep looking for him around town." He started to walk out the door, then stopped and slowly turned around. He pointed by Gray's bed. "Aren't those his boots?" He looked up at Cliff with a quizzical look on his face.

Cliff's mind scrambled, racing for an answer. "He…he…must be wearing his other shoes," he fibbed, his voice shaky.

Kai shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, tell him if you see him." He left the room with a breezy air, and Cliff quickly rushed forward, locking the door behind him, and then collapsed on his bed, breathing heavily. Gray peeked out from the bathroom and then stepped out as well.

Cliff looked up at him, still shaking a little. "That was close…"

Gray laid next to him on the bed, pulling him in for a hug. They laid together for a moment, and then he sighed deeply as he pushed Cliff away and stood up. "Well, I guess I better get some clothes on and go see about that stupid ice shaver." He dressed hurriedly, and laced up his boots. "Other shoes…" he chuckled. "I guess I have to get some other shoes, or he'll start to wonder, huh?"

Cliff shook his head as he got dressed as well. "I get the impression that Kai is a bit of an airhead. I doubt he'll remember anything that long."

Gray just smirked and pulled on his hat. "See ya," he grunted, and turned to go.

"Gray…?" Cliff's voice piped up, slightly pleading and questioning.

Gray sighed deeply, still facing the door, then turned around and stomped back over to Cliff. He pressed his lips firmly against Cliff's, who sighed happily. "You kill me," Gray muttered, but he couldn't hide the smile that started to curl the edges of his mouth. He kissed Cliff one more time and then headed out the door and down the stairs.

Gray stalked over to the snack shack. He pushed open the flimsy whitewashed door and stepped in. "You wanted something?" he grunted at Kai, who was rolling out pizza dough.

Kai looked up, wiping flour onto his forehead. "Huh?" he said, looking puzzled, and Gray sighed heavily, frustrated by this stupid moron. Kai's eyes lit up with remembrance. "Oh yeah! The ice shaver is jammed. Can you take a look at it?" Gray nodded in assent, and within a few moments, he had "fixed" the ice shaver. (Kai had been trying to turn the handle the wrong way.)

"Aw, thanks man. Sorry about that. I can be such a doofus sometimes." Kai laughed.

"You got that right," Gray snorted under his breath, and turned to leave.

"Wait, man!" Kai piped up, motioning at Gray to come back. Gray rolled his eyes and walked back up to the counter, pulling his hat low on his eyes to hide his annoyance. "You hungry? I could make you something. You know, to pay you back for having to come out here." Kai asked.

Gray sighed. "Ann feeds me at the inn. I'll be fine." Kai looked disappointed, and Gray sighed again and sat down on a stool. "All right…" he muttered in defeat. He looked up at the menu board, and his eyes lit up to see baked corn was an item. That was his favorite food. He ordered it, and Kai set to work buttering up an ear and throwing it on the grill. Gray just sat in silence and watched him cook.

"So, man, you don't talk much, do ya?" Gray didn't respond, and Kai chuckled. "That's what I thought. You got a girlfriend?"

Gray clenched his fists on the countertop. "…No," he grunted.

Kai clucked his tongue. "Why not, man? Girls are the spice of life! Yow!" He flipped the corn excitedly. Gray refused to answer, and Kai shrugged. "You're missing out man, missing out! But that's fine, it's just more ladies for me! Oh yeah!" He flipped the corn again, gesturing wildly with his spatula. Gray seethed silently, weighing in his head whether getting to eat free baked corn was worth having to sit and listen to this worthless fool blather on and on.

Kai turned on him, his eyes glittering. "Like in this town, there's this one chick, Popuri. She is crazy hot! We mess around every year when I come around. Damn, she's fine. And she just turned 18! Yow! Now she's fair game!" Kai proceeded to detail all the things he planned to do to her, and Gray scowled in revulsion. He almost stood up to go, but Kai placed the corn in front of him, and it smelled too good to resist. Gray sat back down and bit into it. Kai beamed. "Good, huh?"

Gray grunted something in reply, and Kai nodded, turning his attention to some dishes that needed washing. "So yeah, anyway, she lives with her uptight brother, so we'll probably have to use the inn. If you ever see my bandanna tied around the doorknob, it means steer clear! There's some funky business happening in there!" Gray just snorted. Why should he give the guy any privacy? He sure didn't return the favor.

As if Kai was reading his mind, he spoke up. "If you ever do get a girlfriend, you know, you can set up a method too. Like…hang your hat on the doorknob, and I'll stay out. Got it?" Gray looked at him, actually musing this idea as rather useful. He and Cliff could finally get some privacy. Kai waggled a finger at him, snapping him out of his daze. "But, like, no all night sessions. I don't want to have to sleep on the floor in here because you're hogging the room all night." Gray rolled his eyes. Damn, that would be awesome if he could keep the idiot out all night. But, oh well.

Kai continued to run his mouth. "That other dude…Cliff…I'm trying to think what he could put on the doorknob if he needed the room…" My hat, Gray smirked to himself, but hid his smile. Kai finally shrugged. "Nah, it probably doesn't matter. That dude doesn't really look like he'll be bringing home a girlfriend any time soon. More like he'd be someone's girlfriend!" Kai roared with laughter at his own joke, and Gray stood abruptly, throwing his wadded up napkin on the counter and stalking out.

"Damn, he's a cold dude…" Kai said to himself as the door slammed behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A few nights later, Gray returned to the inn rather late after some intense extra study at work. Cliff gave him a little smile as he came in. Gray sat at one of the rough wooden tables, and Cliff went into the kitchen and ladled out two bowls of the stew that Ann had made for dinner. He took them out to Gray and they sat down together. They ate in silence for a while, and then Cliff motioned with his head at the clock, which had just struck 8.

"Guess it's going to be like old times tonight, huh?" he whispered, referring to the fact that their window of opportunity to have the room to themselves while Kai was at the snack shack had passed. Gray sighed heavily and grunted. "Well, it's better than nothing," Cliff mused.

Gray grunted again. "I fucking hate Kai." Cliff stifled a little laugh, and continued to eat. Gray shoved his empty bowl forward, and Cliff reached for it. "You want more?" he asked.

Gray shook his head. "Naw, I'm going up to get a shower. Alone. Stupid fucking Kai," he grumbled.

As he stood, the door to the bar opened. Kai waltzed in, his arm around Popuri's slim waist. He leaned his face into her pink hair and whispered something that made her giggle and push him away. He moved right back into her, wiggling his eyebrows like crazy.

They watched the public display of affection in disinterest. "Disgusting," Gray muttered. He turned and stomped up the stairs, heading into the bedroom. He quickly disrobed and entered the bathroom, where he turned on the shower and got in. He scrubbed his body forcefully, glancing down at the erection he would have to satisfy with his own hand tonight. He gritted his teeth in anger, cursing Kai, the whole summer season, and the stupid Goddess forsaken Snack Shack. He just wanted it all to be done with so that he and Cliff could get back to things like they were supposed to be.

Gray sighed heavily, turning off the tap and stepping out. He toweled off quickly and wrapped the towel around his waist, then stepped out into the bedroom. His ears were assaulted with the sound of a girl's high pitched squeals. Much to his disgust, Popuri and Kai were frolicking on Kai's bed. Kai had his hand slid up underneath Popuri's shirt, and her smiling face was very red. Kai looked up at Gray, sliding his hand out, and Popuri turned away from him slightly, averting her eyes in embarrassment. Gray just glowered at the two of them, holding onto his towel.

"Hey, man," Kai greeted him. "I tied my bandanna on the door, dude." Gray then noticed that Kai's head was bare.

Gray gritted his teeth before answering. "Well, I didn't see it, because I was in the shower."

Kai grinned. "Oh yeah, I didn't think about that. Well, anyway, do you mind…" He trailed off, making faces and head motions at Gray for him to get out.

Gray stared at him coldly. "Can I put some fucking clothes on first?" he hissed, gesturing at his dripping body.

Kai's eyes widened, partially out of fear. "Yeah, dude, no problem." But he sat there like a lump, neither he nor Popuri making any motion to give Gray the privacy he needed to get dressed.

Gray's expression became darker. "Are you going to watch me or something? Get the hell out for a minute!" he bellowed, gesturing angrily at the door. Kai and Popuri scrambled to their feet, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door behind them with a bang. Gray cursed and seethed under his breath as he threw his wet towel on the floor and yanked on a pair of clean boxers. He pulled a black t-shirt over his head, and slipped into a pair of jeans, then sat on the bed and quickly laced up his boots. He stood up, crammed his hat onto his head, and stomped to the door, jerking it open and storming out. A frightened Kai and Popuri scurried back into the bedroom and shut the door behind them. Gray heard the door lock with a firm click as he continued to stalk down the hall.

He stomped down the stairs, seething at the injustice of getting kicked out of his own room, went up to the bar, sitting down on a barstool and clenching his fists on the counter. Cliff, who was organizing wine bottles, stood up and walked over to him. He just raised one eyebrow, and Gray answered his unspoken question. "Kai's claiming the room right now," he hissed.

Cliff answered him in a low, cool tone. "Why didn't you just tell him to fuck off?"

Gray looked up at Cliff, surprised. He hadn't even thought of doing that. He started to stand up and storm back up there, and tell them to get out. He was there first, after all. But Cliff stopped him. "It's already started, just let them finish it. This means that Kai owes you now…" he trailed off, and understanding lit up Gray's face.

His hand flew to the brim of his hat. "I'm gonna hang this on the door tomorrow," he smirked.

Cliff's eyes sparkled, and he nodded. He moved away, filling a mug up with beer for Gray, and then went back to his work. Gray sipped his beer, already looking forward to the next night.

Kai and Popuri didn't come down the stairs until almost midnight, but Gray's annoyance with them was soothed by the fact that he was going to return the favor. He and Cliff didn't get to do anything that night, because it was so late by the time that they were able to finally get into their beds, but Gray pledged in his mind that he would more than make up for it the following night.

The next evening, Cliff and Gray ate dinner quickly. Gray retreated upstairs first while Cliff cleaned up the dishes. Gray removed his hat at the door, and hung it over the doorknob, then stepped in. Cliff slipped in after him about five minutes later. He looked at Gray innocently as he locked the door behind him. "I saw your hat on the door. Did you want some privacy? Should I leave?"

Gray just growled, advancing on Cliff and giving him a long, deep kiss. Cliff hummed happily into his mouth, and they sat down on his bed together. "Let's take it slow," he whispered to Gray between kisses, and Gray grunted in assent, smirking a little. He kissed hungrily at Cliff's neck, licking and biting at his earlobe.

Cliff squealed softly in pleasure, and the sound made Gray ache between his legs. Gray breathed harshly in his ear, "You don't know how bad I want you…" he hissed.

Cliff squirmed happily. "Tell me…" he murmured.

Gray smirked again. "I've been rock hard all day, thinking about this," he whispered huskily. Cliff moaned happily, letting Gray push him back on the bed and press himself on top of him. They kissed and fondled each other through their clothes for a few minutes, then began undressing each other slowly.

Cliff kissed Gray's chest over and over. "I love your body," he whispered, flicking his tongue out to lick at one of Gray's nipples. Gray groaned in delight, and Cliff reached his hands up to massage at Gray's muscular shoulders and arms. "You're so strong…" he moaned. Gray smiled, rubbing his hardness against Cliff's thigh. Cliff reached down, stroking and squeezing at it through his boxers.

Gray groaned deeply, then looked down below Cliff's waist. He was wearing black bikini briefs, and his long hardness was pressed at an odd angle, the small garment struggling to hold it all. Gray licked his lips and tugged them off, making Cliff's erection pop out suddenly. He grasped it in one rough hand, caressing it lustfully. Cliff moaned in pleasure, and Gray lowered his head, lapping out his tongue at the firm flesh. He sucked and squeezed at it, feeling his own hardness throbbing and aching in response to Cliff's noises of pleasure.

Cliff hadn't finished yet, but he pushed Gray away suddenly. Gray looked at him, a little confused, until he saw the lust burning in Cliff's eyes. "I want you inside of me, NOW," he begged, reaching for the lube. Gray eagerly agreed, removing his boxers and letting Cliff slick him down. Cliff urged Gray to get on his back, and then carefully straddled over him, easing Gray's thick hardness inside. Gray groaned in ecstasy, loving how tight and hot it felt. Cliff shuddered and whimpered happily, his already slick hand finding his own hardness and stroking it rapidly. Gray watched the movement of Cliff's hand, which kept time with the rhythm that he thrust himself up into Cliff.

Cliff was already so close from having Gray's mouth on it earlier, and having Gray stimulating him from inside pushed him even further. He made a few more tight, long strokes on himself, then gritted his teeth as his release gushed up and onto Gray's chest and stomach. Gray gave a satisfied grunt, then thrust up with renewed enthusiasm as he found his own climax, pulsing his release deep inside of Cliff. They trembled and moved against each other for a few more moments, then carefully broke apart and cleaned up.

Cliff settled back down in the bed next to Gray, who pulled the covers over both of them. They kissed each other deeply, both overwhelmed with satisfaction. They lay in the peaceful quiet, enjoying the feeling of being together.

Cliff spoke up after a while. "Do you think we can keep him out all night?"

Gray sighed. "No…we have to let him back in eventually, or he'll probably just let himself in. And that would suck."

Cliff whimpered a little, snuggling his face into Gray's chest. "I wish we could just fall asleep like this…"

Gray kissed him on the top of his head. "I know…I can't wait until fall."

They lay together for a while longer, then reluctantly pulled apart, getting dressed. Cliff went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and Gray unlocked the door and slowly opened it, snatching his hat back up from the other side. Fortunately, Kai wasn't waiting right outside the door, or they would have had to scramble for an excuse as to why it was the two of them in there alone.

Kai came up from the bar about an hour later. He waggled his finger at Gray, and advanced on him, attempting to high five him. Gray evaded him, and Kai laughed. "Congrats, man! I'm guessing by the hat on the door that you must have scored! Sweet!"

Gray said nothing. Cliff sat on his own bed, reading a book and trying to look innocent.

Kai raised his eyebrows over and over at Gray. "So…DETAILS, man." Gray just scowled at him, folding his arms over his chest. Kai whined. "Aw, man, that's cold! I want to know what this chick is like!" He continued to nag at Gray, who just ignored him.

"Fine, man, be that way," Kai huffed, going into the corner and changing out of his clothes with his back turned away. "Oh yeah!" he cried out. "I can tell you all about my little adventure with Popuri last night!"

Cliff and Gray both cringed simultaneously, but nothing could stop the avalanche of words that had started to come out of Kai's mouth. They both tried to ignore him, but his voice was loud and insistent, and they had to hear things that they rather would not have.

About half an hour later, Kai had finally finished his tale. "…and she was even begging for more today. I tried to bring her up here a while ago, but I saw your hat and heard the bed creaking, and I knew some funky business was going down! Oh yeah! I had to put my needs aside for the moment. It was only fair that you got your turn, man. So, you're not even going to tell me what this freaky deaky looks like? From the sound of it, she was rocking your world!" He looked over at Cliff, who was trying to stifle a laugh. "See man, even Cliff wants to hear about it. Dontcha?"

Cliff struggled not to burst out into laughter. He just shook his head, trying to focus on his book.

Kai clucked his tongue. "Yeah, I can tell by that look on his face that even he wants to know all about how you got busy tonight. Come on, just tell me what she looks like!" he pleaded.

Gray was silent for a moment, then surprised both of them by grunting an answer. "Long brown hair. Blue eyes. Really sexy." Cliff blushed heavily, hearing himself being described.

Kai was totally oblivious, however. He imagined a voluptuous babe with glossy, bouncy brown hair and big blue eyes, never guessing that the person being described was in the room. "Aw, yeah! She sounds hot as hell!" He made strange noises and movements, apparently spanking an invisible sex partner.

Gray groaned. "Kai?"

Kai stopped his moronic show and grinned. "Yeah, dude?"

"Shut the fuck up and go to bed."

Kai tried to stammer something in response, while Cliff burst out into laughter. Kai finally just laughed it off. "I get it dude, I get it. You need to chill out now and enjoy the afterglow. I'll be cool." He motioned like he was zipping up his lips, and got into his own bed. Cliff stretched out, setting his book on the nightstand and shutting out the lights.

The room was silent for a few minutes, then Kai piped up again. "Bow chicka wow wow," he sang, trying to sound like a porno movie.

Gray gritted his teeth. "Kai, for the love of the Goddess, shut the fuck up or I swear I will beat the shit out of you!" he hissed.

Kai squeaked, then shut up immediately. Gray turned to face Cliff, and the anger and tension that had been on his face melted away. Cliff smiled back at him, and they fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After that little run in, Kai steered clear of Gray as much as he could. Which was a good thing, meaning that he and Cliff didn't have to be inconvenienced with his presence as much. Things still weren't normal, because they couldn't sleep in the same bed or walk around the room naked, because he still was liable to pop up at any time, but he didn't run his mouth as much any more.

One evening when Kai was still out at the snack shack, Cliff and Gray slipped into the bedroom one after another. Cliff grabbed the lube, and they quickly disrobed, and then went into the bathroom together. Gray approached him, kissing at his neck from behind. Cliff blushed and squirmed, and Gray tugged at the string holding his ponytail together. It came loose and Cliff's hair spilled out over his shoulders. He turned around, and their mouths met, kissing furiously. Gray backed him up towards the sink, pressing him up against it as he explored Cliff's body with his hands.

He suddenly turned Cliff around, making him face the mirror. He snatched the lube out of Cliff's hands, spreading some all over himself. Cliff's breathing became heavy as he tingled with pleasurable anticipation. Gray brought his mouth close to Cliff's ear and whispered, "I want to see your face when I take you from behind." Cliff moaned in desire as Gray's hands grabbed at him, parting his flesh. He nudged the tip of his hardness into Cliff's entrance, and they both groaned in pleasure. Gray's eyes were fixed on Cliff's image in the mirror, thoroughly enjoying the expressions that flitted across his face as Gray pumped in and out of him. Gray held on tightly to Cliff's hips, pulling them back onto him as he slammed into him again and again. One of Cliff's hands held on to the edge of the sink, and the other gripped his own manhood firmly, stroking frenetically.

Cliff whimpered with pleasure, and Gray hissed in his ear. "You like it?" Cliff nodded, and a satisfied smirk spread across Gray's face as he continued to stare at Cliff's in the mirror. Cliff's breathing became erratic, and Gray grunted, "You close?" Cliff managed to gasp out a yes, and Gray picked up his pace, thrusting faster into Cliff. The bathroom tiles echoed with their cries of ecstasy as they climaxed at the exact same time.

Gray kissed Cliff's trembling back, as Cliff carefully washed his release down the sink. They entered the shower together, which thankfully was still running warm. Cliff sighed happily, leaning into Gray and nuzzling his face into his muscular chest. Gray just smiled and stroked at Cliff's long hair. Then he pushed Cliff back into the water, getting his hair wet. Gray got a handful of Cliff's shampoo and plopped it onto the top of Cliff's head, making him laugh.

"What are you doing?" Cliff giggled.

"I'm washing your hair, stupid," Gray said, smiling. He rubbed the shampoo in a circle, tangling up Cliff's hair.

"Stop! You're messing it up!" Cliff squealed as Gray continued to wash his hair all wrong.

"Naw, it's cool," Gray chuckled, as he continued to mess with Cliff's hair.

"You're not the one that has to brush it out later!" Cliff retorted, trying to swat Gray's playful hands away from his head.

Gray grinned. "I could brush it for you," he offered.

Cliff pouted. "No. You're too strong. You'd probably pull it all out."

Gray pouted back. "I would never pull out your hair."

"You're pulling it out now!" Cliff squealed in pain, as he tried to dislodge Gray's tangled fingers from his hair. He finally got free with minimal loss of hair, and sulked as he rinsed out all the shampoo.

Gray picked up the conditioner bottle. "What about this stuff? Can I put some of this in?" Cliff hesitated, then agreed. Gray grinned, opening the bottle and dumping half the contents onto Cliff's head.

"What are you doing?" Cliff screeched. He frantically rinsed his scalp. "Not at the top! Only on the rest of my hair! Now it's going to be all greasy looking," he wailed.

Gray kissed him, shutting up his complaining. "Don't worry, I'll still think you're cute." Cliff pouted for a minute more, then smiled.

Cliff picked up the shampoo bottle. "Now let me wash YOUR hair."

Gray smirked down on him. "Can you reach that high?"

Cliff rolled his eyes. "I'm not THAT much shorter than you." He squeezed out a bit of shampoo, and Gray turned away from him. Cliff reached up and lathered up Gray's short hair.

Gray groaned. "Aw, you're using that fruity stuff of yours. I'm going to smell like you!"

Cliff huffed. "I thought you liked the way I smell."

"Yeah, I do. On you. It wouldn't be right for me to smell like flowers and sunshine. That's your thing."

Cliff burst into laughter. "Flowers and sunshine? That's what I smell like to you?"

Gray grinned lazily. "Yeah." He was silent for a moment. "What do I smell like?"

Cliff didn't hesitate to answer. "Sex." Gray chuckled at that, and Cliff brought his hands around Gray's waist, hugging him tightly. "You always smell so manly and good. Even when you come home, and you're all dirty. You smell like sweat and burnt metal, but I love it." Gray chuckled again, tilting his head back to rinse out the shampoo.

Cliff soaped up the washcloth and scrubbed Gray with it. "Hey now, you're washing off my man scent!" Gray teased him. He snatched the washcloth out of Cliff's hand, and grabbed Cliff's shampoo, squeezing it out over the cloth. He rubbed it all over Cliff's body. "Now you can smell even more like flowers and sunshine." They continued to banter back and forth, until the hot water ran out and they were forced to cut their fun short. They got out of the shower, drying off and then wrapping towels around their waist.

They exited the bathroom together, totally forgetting about their usual plan to exit separately. Since that one time, Kai had never been in the room, so it didn't seem as important. They stepped out, Cliff backing into the room as he tugged at Gray's towel playfully, laughing lightly. They both froze, however, as they became aware of another person in the room. They turned their heads stiffly to see Kai on his bed, his eyes bugged out in disbelief. Cliff shrieked, stepping back behind Gray, who just glowered at Kai.

"What the fuck?" Kai was totally bewildered. "Are you guys…" he broke off in fear as Gray advanced on him menacingly. "No, man, I'm not into that!" he sputtered as Gray reached for his collar.

Gray jerked him sharply to standing. His muscular build made him intimidating, even when wearing nothing but a towel. He was a head taller than Kai, and he stared him down as he hissed threateningly in his face. "You say one damn word to anyone, and I'll smash your face in. Got it?" Kai nodded, sweating profusely. Gray let go of him, and he slumped back down onto the bed. He looked in amazement back and forth between Gray and Cliff, who was clutching at his towel nervously.

"Whoa…" Kai exhaled sharply. "I never would have guessed it. I mean, I guessed that he was," he said, pointing at Cliff, then his eyes returned to Gray, "but you, no way!" He widened his eyes again. "What about your girlfriend, man?" he asked Gray. Gray just stared back coldly at him. Kai's eyes slid back over to Cliff, whose wet hair spilled out over his shoulders. "Long brown hair…blue eyes…" Kai muttered as he realized things. "Man, I'm a doofus."

"Yeah, we know," Gray grunted at him. "Now, get the fuck out!" Kai scurried out, like a dog with his tail between his legs. Gray locked the door behind him, and sat down on Cliff's bed, burying his face in his hands. Cliff quietly stepped over, sinking down next to him.

"Urg, he's going to tell everyone, I just know it!" Gray muttered angrily.

Cliff rubbed his hand soothingly over Gray's back. "No, I don't think so. He looked pretty scared of you. And think of it this way…the worst is over. He knows, but I'm pretty sure he won't tell anyone. So maybe we can work out a deal with him so that we can have some privacy once again." Gray looked at Cliff, and some of the worry melted off his face. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

They sat for a moment, and Cliff sighed heavily. "What's wrong?" Gray asked him.

Cliff picked at his towel. "Are you embarrassed to be with me?" he asked in a small voice.

Gray snorted. "No. Are you embarrassed to be with me?" Cliff shook his head. Gray spoke again. "The only reason I want it to be secret is because of my stupid old grandfather. He'd murder me for sure. He always says that relationships just impede a blacksmith and hold him back from his true potential. Which explains why he drove my grandmother away." He snorted again. "I think he's wrong. I didn't start getting serious about my work until I met you." He looked at the ground, a flush of crimson spreading over his face. "I didn't care about anything before…but now I do." Cliff just scooted closer to him, leaning his head on his shoulder.

After a while, Cliff spoke up again. "Gray?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm cold. Can we get dressed now?" Gray chuckled, lifting his hand and ruffling Cliff's hair. Cliff pouted at him. "You're tangling it all up again! Now, you really have to brush it!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kai waited downstairs in the bar for about an hour, sipping a drink and trying to calm his nerves. He still was in shock over the revelation that Gray and Cliff were sleeping with each other, and he was also quite frightened that Gray would crush every bone in his body if he so felt like it. Finally, when he felt enough time had passed, he nervously mounted the stairs, heading back up to the room that the three of them shared. He had to sleep at some point, after all, and there was no comfortable place to do it at his Snack Shack. Kai paused with his hand on the doorknob, listening carefully to see if he was entering at a bad time.

He heard Cliff's voice wail out in pain. "Stop! Stop it! You're hurting me!"

Gray's deeper voice quickly followed, rumbling with laughter. "Oh, you're such a wimp."

Cliff cried out again. "I'm serious! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Gray's voice calmly replied, "Well, if you would stop squirming…"

Kai had heard enough and he scrambled back down the stairs to order another drink and wait a while longer. His mind imagined all sorts of horrible things that the two men were doing to each other, and he felt sorry for Cliff to have to be pushed around by a big menace like Gray. Little did he know what was actually going on in the room.

Gray was trying to brush Cliff's hair.

Kai ascended the stairs after another hour had passed. He once again paused at the door, but it was silent inside. He tremulously turned the knob, which was locked, and he fished out his key with shaking hands. He stepped into the room, nervous to look towards the beds, but he finally raised his eyes. Cliff was sitting up in his bed, which was the closest to the door, reading a book. He looked up at Kai and raised his eyebrows. Kai glanced at Gray, who was lying asleep in his bed, facing towards Cliff. Cliff followed Kai's gaze and raised a finger to his lips, urging him to be quiet. Kai nodded furiously and tiptoed to his side of the room, changing for bed as quickly as he could and diving under the covers. Cliff laid his book on the nightstand and turned off the lamp.

A few days passed. The three men were all in their bedroom one night, when Kai nervously spoke up. "Uh, tomorrow's the fireworks festival."

Gray growled, turning a page in his book. "So?" He hated festivals; they were a pointless waste of time.

Cliff laid his book in his lap. "I'd like to go," he piped up.

Gray's angry face suddenly melted away. "Oh, really?" he asked, surprised. Cliff nodded, and Gray gave a little smirk. "Fine, we'll go." Cliff smiled contentedly and resumed reading.

Kai cleared his throat again. "I always have like, an all you can eat buffet right at sunset before he fireworks start. Um…you're invited to that too."

Gray just grunted, but Cliff made eye contact with Kai and smiled. Kai exhaled in relief and settled in to bed. Things had been better between all of them, mostly because of Cliff's efforts. He had taken Kai aside the morning after the big run in and worked out a deal with him. If Kai would stay out until midnight on odd numbered days, then Gray and Cliff would vacate the room from 7pm until 10 pm on even numbered days, giving Kai space to spend time with his girlfriend. Kai had quickly agreed, not even questioning why they got more time in the room. All he cared about was avoiding getting beaten down by Gray.

Kai was also grateful that the two men didn't seem the "public display of affection" type. Now that he knew their secret, they could have easily dropped their guard and started being affectionate towards one another in little ways at bedtime, even sharing a bed just to sleep. But they apparently were abstaining from that until Kai made his departure for good. Kai did notice that every evening, after the lights were out, he could hear Cliff's bed squeak quickly, the sound of light footsteps on the floor, and a kiss being exchanged. Then the feet would return to bed. It kind of made Kai a little queasy when he thought about the two guys kissing on each other, but he dared not complain for fear of Gray beating him up. He consoled himself with the fact that they weren't all out humping on each other in front of him.

The next evening, Gray and Cliff enjoyed a little time together before heading out to the fireworks festival. Since this was an even numbered day, it was actually Kai's turn to get the room, but that time arrangement was only from 7 to 10. Since the fireworks would go on until past 9, Gray smirked a little that Kai would just have to miss his turn today. He returned his attention to Cliff, pushing his shirt up over his stomach and tracing his tongue over his navel as he unbuttoned and unzipped Cliff's pants. They didn't even have to bother with the shower anymore, since Kai didn't dare trespass on their time together. They still enjoyed getting in together sometimes, but it was a relief to no longer be forced to be in there.

Cliff hummed happily as Gray kissed at him through his underwear. Gray smiled and hooked his thumbs under the waistband, peeling them downwards. He grasped at Cliff's hardness with one strong hand, and covered the tip of it with his mouth. He sucked enthusiastically, enjoying the taste of it immensely. Cliff muffled his mouth with one hand, trying to stifle the squeals of pleasure that threatened to emit from him. Gray unwrapped his lips from Cliff and smiled up at him lazily. "Don't do that…" he growled sexily. "I want to hear your voice."

Cliff nodded, his eyes half shut in rapture, and uncovered his mouth. He moaned as Gray returned his mouth to his hardness, and Gray felt a thrill run through his body at the sound of his ecstasy. He licked and fondled at Cliff, making him whimper and cry out in pleasure even more. Gray brought his mouth off for a moment, then placed one finger in his mouth, wetting it down. Cliff trembled in excitement as Gray lowered his head once more and resumed sucking on him. Gray slipped his now wet finger tip inside of Cliff's entrance, making him shudder hard with joy. Gray knew that the dual pleasure was always too much for Cliff, and it wasn't a minute later that Cliff thrust his hips upwards over and over, exploding into Gray's mouth. Gray carefully brought his mouth off, swallowing the thick release of which he had come to appreciate the flavor.

Cliff lay shaking in aftershock on the bed, as Gray quickly disrobed himself. He moved over Cliff, stroking at his own thick manhood. There was a large amount of pre-come on the tip of it, and he spread it around carefully. Cliff nodded up at him, tilting his hips and bending his legs to allow Gray better access. Gray groaned as he slowly pushed himself inside of Cliff, being careful not to hurt him as it was a little drier than usual. He pumped gently in and out of Cliff, enjoying the tight friction. Cliff clawed at the sheets, groaning in desire. It didn't take long before Gray was shuddering hard, waves and waves of pleasure shooting through his body as he released. They pulled apart carefully, snuggling on the bed together for a while, then they rose to get dressed for the festival.

The two guys walked into Kai's Snack Shack together about 15 minutes later. Kai smiled up at them weakly, and quickly fixed Gray a plate with three ears of baked corn on it. He didn't know what Cliff liked to eat, so he just gave him a plate with a little bit of everything. Gray just grunted, snatching the plate from Kai, but Cliff smiled and offered a whispered "thank you."

They sat down together, at a table farthest from the crowd. Gray muttered. "Don't thank that fucking idiot."

Cliff smiled at him admonishingly. "Well, he did give us free food, so it's sort of appropriate to say thank you."

Gray just grunted and ate his food. Cliff just shook his head, chuckling to himself, and began to eat.

After they were done eating, they headed outside to watch the fireworks together. They moved as far away from the crowd as they could without looking suspicious, and sat down in the sand together. They leaned back, watching the colorful bursts of light explode in the sky. Gray was surprised at himself, finding that he actually enjoyed watching fireworks with Cliff. He had never liked them before. He smiled as he listened to Cliff's soft "oohs" and "aahs" in response to each vibrant blast of color. He thought that only he could make Cliff make those noises. He smirked a little, then reached over and found Cliff's hand in the sand. He laced his fingers into Cliff's, and Cliff smiled over at him happily. Gray just chuckled deeply, and they watched the rest of the show together.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Finally, the long awaited day had come! It was the last day of summer. Gray and Cliff felt gleeful all day, though they tried to hide it. That evening, Kai packed up his stuff in the bedroom they all shared. Gray grinned widely, watching him pack. He pointed out things that Kai might be forgetting, eager to help him on his way out of there.

Kai sighed heavily. "Don't worry, I'm really leaving tomorrow."

Gray raised one eyebrow. "Tomorrow? Can't you get the hell out of here tonight?"

Kai sputtered. "There's no ferry tonight! W-what? Do you expect me to swim away?"

Gray shrugged lazily. "I don't care how you leave, I just want you gone."

Kai sighed again, and Cliff piped up. "Oh, he's just messing with you, Kai. Nobody expects you to swim home. But…I won't lie. I'm happy to see you go too." He looked over at Gray, who mouthed something at him, making Cliff blush.

Kai gagged. "Urg…" He turned into bed, grateful that he was leaving too. His mind had been flooded with imagined visions of the two of them loving all over each other, and it was too much for his stomach to take. Cliff shut off the light, and could be heard crossing to Gray's bed to give him a little goodnight kiss.

The three guys lay in the dark silence of the room. Suddenly, Kai got a little brave and he spoke up. He figured since it was his last day there, he had nothing to lose. Smirking a little, he asked, "So…you guys actually like gobbling each other's sausages? And guzzling man chowder?" Cliff squeaked in surprise, and a low growl could be heard from Gray's bed. His bed squeaked sharply as he stood up suddenly.

"I guess you want to go home in a full body cast, huh?" He advanced on Kai's bed, grabbing the frightened man by the neck. "Cliff, you better go ahead and call Doctor up. Tell him to get a bed ready."

Kai squawked and flailed, begging for forgiveness, and pleading not to be beaten up. Cliff also begged Gray not to beat up Kai. "Just think! It means he might stay in town longer! Nobody wants that!" he wailed. Gray finally dropped Kai back in his bed with a thunk, and returned to his own bed.

He settled under the covers, cursing Kai under his breath. He rose the volume of his voice to caution Kai. "Just keep your damn mouth shut, and I won't have to kill you." Kai whimpered something apologetic in response. Gray just buried his face in his pillow, unbelieving that the guy was such a moron. His nose was met with a delightful floral aroma. He spoke up, the anger in his voice all gone. "Cliff, did you switch our pillows again?" Cliff giggled, and Gray chuckled, smelling the pillow again, loving Cliff's scent. Kai laughed too, and started to stay something.

Both Gray and Cliff's voices came sharp and quick. "Shut the fuck up, Kai!" Kai whimpered again, and the room was silent once more.

When Gray rose the next morning to get ready for work, Kai was gathering his bags together, his eyes low. Gray just snorted, pulling on his jumpsuit. Kai paused at the door, waving a little. "Well, see you guys next summer!" he laughed nervously.

Gray groaned, holding his head. "Next summer…? Oh, fuck…"

As soon as Kai was out of the door, Gray rushed forward and locked it firmly. He knew he had to leave for work soon, but he still had a little time. He climbed into Cliff's bed, spooning him and nuzzling his neck happily. Cliff stirred a little, murmuring. "Is he gone?"

Gray kissed his head gently. "Yep, we'll have three Kai free seasons ahead of us."

"Mmmm…" Cliff made happy noises, stretching the sleep out of his body. Gray's hand wandered below Cliff's waist, finding his morning wood. "Naughty…" Cliff yawned.

"Yup," Gray said shortly, yanking Cliff's boxers down and layering his mouth over his erection. Cliff cried out, pleased.

"Oh, oh…now I'm awake! Oh!" Cliff exclaimed. Gray worked at him furiously, and Cliff reached down and tugged at his short hair. "Oooh, Gray, you are so amazing…" Cliff moaned brokenly, then cried out suddenly as he climaxed in Gray's mouth. Gray removed his mouth carefully, smiling as he swallowed.

"Well, I gotta go brush my teeth and head to work," he stated, standing up quickly, and heading into the bathroom.

"Wait!" Cliff cried out, still trembling with satisfaction. "Don't I get to do you?"

Gray poked his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth. "Nope, no time for that now," he said, his mouth full.

Cliff pouted. "Tease…"

Gray finished brushing his teeth, then came back, stooping down over Cliff and giving him a little kiss. "Mmm… it's too bad I had to wash away the taste of you from my mouth…" he growled. Cliff just shivered happily, snuggling down further in the sheets. Gray kissed him again. "Love you," he grunted.

Cliff smiled up at him. "I love you," he purred back.

Gray pulled his hat on and set out. He threw himself into his work, hammering with all his might. His heart was happy and light because he would no longer have to deal with Kai. It would finally go back to it just being him and Cliff, all the time. He did some of his best work that day, and even his curmudgeonly old grandfather noticed it.

"Boy, you've really got the fire in you lately!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd reach this level so quickly." Gray wiped the sweat from his brow, resting on his hammer. He had only been working under his grandfather since last fall. So it was one year now. Maybe he wouldn't be an apprentice much longer…

Saibara's rough voice snapped him out of his daze. "All right, boy! I'm going to teach you another new technique now! Are you ready?" Gray nodded seriously, and paid attention, feeling himself getting one step closer to the end of his apprenticeship.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Gray returned home late that evening. He went into the main dining area of the inn and sat down at a table. Cliff's head peeked out from the kitchen, and he couldn't hide the look of delight on his face. He disappeared, but reappeared a moment later with two plates of curry, one of which he set in front of Gray. Gray started eating, trying to hide the smile which was trying to erupt all over his face. Cliff just looked at him with moony eyes.

"I can't believe we're finally alone," he breathed happily.

"Yeah," Gray sighed contentedly. "No more retard Kai." He took another bite of food, then his expression darkened. "I swear to the Goddess that I would have had to murder him if the season had lasted just one more day."

Cliff waved his hand airily. "Well, he's gone for good now." Gray started to say something, and Cliff slumped a little and spoke again. "I know, I know. He'll be back next summer. But it's a long time until then."

Gray swallowed his food. "Besides, maybe it might not even be an issue. Grandpa says I'm almost done with my apprenticeship. I could get my own shop somewhere else, and not have to ever see Kai's face again."

Cliff stared at him, expressionless, then a look of devastation started to creep out. Gray paused in his chewing. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're going to leave Mineral Town?" Cliff asked in a small voice.

Gray snorted. "Yeah, one day. Good riddance."

Cliff looked more devastated. His eyes became red around the edges. He stared down into his plate. Realization washed over Gray, and he sputtered. "Stupid! I'm not going to leave you behind! You can come with me."

Cliff looked up, relief washing over his face. "Oh, thank goodness…" He began eating again.

Gray chuckled. "You're so silly. Like I'd go anywhere without you."

He finished eating and headed upstairs, getting into the shower. He was absolutely filthy from his hard day at work, and he couldn't wait to get clean. Cliff slipped into the shower with him a few minutes later. Gray grinned at him. "Oh, would you like me to wash your hair again?"

Cliff backed away a step. "N-no, no thank you."

Gray just grinned wider. "Come on, I'm really good at it." He picked up the shampoo bottle, and waved it at Cliff menacingly. "It'll feel soooo good. You know you want me to."

Cliff started to squeak as Gray's hands came down on him, pushing him under the flow of the shower and wetting him down. "No! No!" Cliff protested as Gray started to open the shampoo bottle. He kneeled suddenly, grabbing at Gray's manhood and putting it in his mouth.

Gray gasped and laughed brokenly. "Oh, trying to distract me, huh? Well, it won't work!" He continued opening the bottle, and squeezed a large amount on the top of Cliff's head. His hands massaged the soapy liquid into Cliff's long hair, tangling it up horribly. Cliff looked up at him, squinting. "I'll bite you," he said, his mouth still full of Gray's rapidly hardening member.

Gray backed away, pulling himself out of Cliff's mouth. "You crazy bitch!"

Cliff stood up, rinsing his tangled hair out. "You're the crazy bitch!" He started laughing, and Gray couldn't help but laugh too. He pulled Cliff in close and kissed him deeply.

"All right, all right, I won't wash your hair. But, uh, how about…?" He pushed on the back of Cliff's head, urging him to continue pleasuring him. Cliff happily complied. Gray groaned with pleasure, then spoke up. "No biting!" Cliff raked his teeth lightly on Gray's skin, making him squeal. "I can…still reach the shampoo from here…" he warned Cliff. Cliff stopped using his teeth, purring innocently as he sucked softly at Gray. "That's more like it…" Gray moaned happily, leaning back into the wall. He climaxed a few minutes later, bucking his hips into Cliff's mouth in ecstasy. They finished up their shower and got dressed for bed, snuggling happily into the same bed for the first time in ages.

About a week later at work, Gray was hammering away when he heard Saibara drop his hammer with a loud clang, and make a strange noise. Gray wheeled around sharply, gasping when he saw his grandfather clutching at his chest. "Grandpa, what's wrong?"

"It's my heart, boy…" Saibara managed to wheeze out.

"I'll go get the Doctor!" Gray cried out, and he barreled out the door and towards the Clinic. Doctor was inside, talking to Elli, his nurse, but quickly took off with Gray when he quickly explained what was going on. However, when they arrived at the blacksmith's together, it was too late.

"I'm sorry, Gray. He's gone." Doctor said softly, as he rose from examining Saibara's body. Gray just nodded mutely, his face a mask of stoicism.

The next few hours were very unpleasant. Zack arrived to help, and Saibara's body was transported to the church, where he would be buried the next day. Gray trudged back to the inn after everything was taken care of. Word had already spread all over town, and patrons at the bar murmured as he entered. Ann hurried up to him. "Oh, Gray, I'm so sorry about your grandfather." Gray just grunted, brushing her aside, and went upstairs.

He pushed his way into the bedroom, collapsing down onto Cliff's bed. He lay still, feeling nothing but utter exhaustion. He heard the door creak open softly a few minutes later, and the click of it locking once more. The bed squeaked as Cliff laid down behind him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pressing his lips firmly on the back of Gray's neck. He didn't say a word, just laid with him and held him tightly.

Gray started to feel like he couldn't breathe, and his eyes burned as tears began to fall. Sobs started to rack his body, and Cliff just kept holding him, still not saying anything. After a while had passed, Gray stopped crying. He gave a dark laugh. "Why am I even crying for that mean old bastard?"

"Because you're human," Cliff whispered. They laid together for while longer, then Cliff urged Gray to sit up. He kissed his tear stained cheeks, then helped him out of his clothes. He led him by the hand into the bathroom, where he turned on the tap and guided him under the water. Cliff soaped up the washcloth in silence, washing Gray's muscular body off slowly. Gray just closed his eyes and tried to relax under the warm water. He sighed heavily, and Cliff pulled him in for another hug.

When the shower was over, Cliff dried both of them off and guided Gray back into the bedroom. He selected some clean boxers for Gray, who took them and pulled them on. Gray laid down in his own bed, getting under the covers, while Cliff turned off the light. He then approached the bed and urged Gray to lay on his stomach. He straddled him, rubbing his hands over Gray's tense muscles. Gray sighed, relaxing into the bed with the massage. Exhaustion finally got the better of him, and he fell asleep deeply while Cliff was still massaging his back. Cliff squeezed into the bed with him, and snuggled up close.

The day of the funeral went by as a blur. No one even batted an eye as Cliff stayed close to Gray, patting his arm soothingly and looking up at him. Gray didn't care either, because his grandfather was the only one he was hiding his relationship with Cliff from. It was either that the townspeople didn't dare judge Gray while he was grieving, or that they just thought that Cliff was a devoted "best friend." Whichever it was, Gray didn't really care anymore. He and Cliff were together, and he didn't give a fuck what anyone else thought about it.

The next day, Gray got dressed for work, feeling a little strange. He figured that he had to open the shop after all. Since his grandfather was no longer alive, he would have to take over all the work. He let himself in, having taken his grandfather's keys the day before. He looked around the quiet shop for a while. This was all his now, he supposed. He wasn't particularly thrilled about it, but this town needed a blacksmith. He would have to step up to the task.

He thought of something, and wandered into the other side of the shop. One half of the building was where Saibara had lived. Gray had rarely gone in it, as Saibara was even more anti-social than Gray himself. He pushed open the door leading to the residence side. He flicked on a light, and scowled. It was filthy. Dirty dishes were piled up, stacks of newspapers littered the floor. Gray sighed, looking it all over. He could ask Cliff to help him clean it up.

Something wonderful suddenly crossed his mind. This was all his now. Meaning that he didn't have to stay at the inn any more. Meaning that he AND Cliff didn't have to stay at the inn anymore. He started to feel a lot happier as he sifted absentmindedly through the junk. The living space was actually rather nice if you looked past all the clutter and filth. There was a small kitchen and dining area, a decent sized bedroom with a queen sized bed, a bathroom with both a shower and a large tub, and a laundry area.

He walked back outside, hanging up the "Closed" sign on the door. He chuckled to himself when he realized that it was Thursday after all, so he didn't need to open the shop anyway. He hurried back to the inn, stomping up the stairs and rousing Cliff from bed. "Hey, I need you to help me clean up my grandpa's place," he whispered at him. Cliff didn't hesitate to get dressed and go down there with him.

Cliff was good at that kind of stuff, and quickly set to work cleaning. Gray took over the heavy tasks, like hauling out all the junk and clutter, while Cliff did the actual cleaning. He stripped the bed, washing the sheets along with all the towels he found in the bathroom. The musty smell that had permeated the place before quickly gave way to the smell of bleach and soap.

At the end of the day, they were exhausted, but looked over their work approvingly. The place looked completely different. Now, it actually looked like somewhere that people would want to live. Gray grinned down on Cliff. "Aw, you got it all shiny and it smells like flowers and sunshine now!" Cliff just laughed, and they headed back to the inn together. They went up to the room. Cliff started to strip to get into the shower. Gray raised an eyebrow at him. "Why don't you wait until we get back home to do that?"

Cliff just stared at him, puzzled. "We are home."

Gray straightened up. "No, we're going to live at the shop now."

Cliff's eyes widened. "You and me?"

Gray grinned. "Yep, you and me."

Cliff squealed happily, pulling his shirt back on and rushing up to Gray for a hug. They happily packed all their things together, and they headed downstairs.

Gray cleared his throat, approaching the counter. "We're checking out, Doug." Doug just stared for a moment, not understanding. "We're going to stay at the apartment inside the shop from now on."

Doug gave a sad smile. "Well, I'm sorry to see you boys go. You were such good guests." He nodded at Gray. "That's really generous of you, Gray, letting your best friend come live with you." Gray snorted. Apparently, Doug belonged to that group that was utterly clueless.

Cliff piped up. "Don't worry, Doug. I'll still come by to help out."

Doug looked relieved. "Good. I was actually starting to worry a little there. I've come to rely on your help. If you could come by in the mornings, say from 9 to 12, that would be great. Since I won't be providing you room and board any more, we can work out a salary, instead." Cliff just nodded, and Ann came out of the back room just then. Doug quickly explained the situation to her, and she smiled at the two of them slyly behind his back. Gray blushed a little, and then he and Cliff headed towards the shop together.

They unpacked their stuff, and Cliff sat on the bed, bouncing up and down on it a little. "Wow, this bed is huge! I've gotten used to us being crammed in a twin bed! What will we do with all this room?"

Gray chuckled, advancing on Cliff and pushing him back. "I can think of a few things…"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Fall passed quickly. The two guys enjoyed living together. Well, they had been sort of living together in the inn, but now they were truly alone and together. Cliff actually turned out to be a decent cook. He got up and cooked Gray breakfast every morning, then went to Doug's inn to help out there. He returned in time to eat lunch with Gray (which was usually sandwiches that Ann insisted he take,) and then made them dinner at night. He often made baked corn, Gray's favorite meal, but was also good at making various curry dishes, and even desserts sometimes.

Cliff had never watched Gray work before living with him, since he had never dared show his face at the blacksmith's when Saibara was alive. He was a little frightened the first time he entered the shop and saw sparks flying haphazardly as Gray hammered away. But he quickly discovered it was a big turn on to watch Gray do such manly stuff. Gray found that he liked having Cliff watch him, too.

Cliff also discovered that Gray was no good at managing the money side of the business. So, Cliff took over that part for him. He worked the counter in the afternoons, taking payments from customers when they came in to pick up their orders. He kept track of the books, and made sure that all the bills were paid. Gray was really grateful to have him around, and Cliff felt even more grateful towards Gray for letting him live there.

Finally, winter came. The 6th was Gray's birthday, and Cliff woke him up with a kiss. "Happy Birthday," he purred, snuggling into Gray's chest. Gray stretched and yawned. Fortunately, the 6th fell on a Thursday this year, which meant they were free to spend the whole day together.

Gray kissed the top of Cliff's head. Cliff wiggled out of his arms, straddling him on the bed and grinning devilishly. "Since it's your birthday, I'm going to be your slave all day!" he gleefully proclaimed.

Gray cocked an eyebrow at him, intrigued. "So, you'll do whatever I tell you to do?" Cliff nodded. Gray chuckled deeply. "Well then, slave boy, I've got a pressing need that you have to attend to." He pointed downward. Cliff trembled happily and scooted down, pulling off Gray's boxers and putting his mouth on Gray's throbbing hardness. Gray moaned in ecstasy, calling out orders to him on how to pleasure him. Cliff willingly complied, and soon Gray was releasing into his mouth.

Cliff snuggled back up into Gray's arms. Gray sighed contentedly, then slapped Cliff's ass sharply. "Now, go make me some breakfast, slave boy!" he commanded. Cliff jumped up and hurried off to the kitchen.

He reappeared a moment later, kneeling by the bed. "What do you want me to make?"

Gray waggled a finger at him. "You're to address me as 'master.'"

Cliff's face flushed with pleasure, and he stammered, "W-what do you want me to make, master?"

Gray smiled lazily. "Pancakes. And hurry up, slave boy! Your master is hungry!" he roared playfully. Cliff squealed and ran back for the kitchen. He reappeared about 15 minutes later, wearing nothing but an apron and presenting a large plate of pancakes. Gray grinned. "Feed me, slave boy," he commanded, and Cliff sat by him on the bed, feeding him forkfuls of pancakes.

When Gray had had all he could eat, he issued another command to Cliff. "Draw me a bath, slave boy!" Cliff giggled and ran into the bathroom. Gray heard the water come rushing on, and he smirked to himself. Cliff came back out a while later and took Gray by the hand, undressing him and guiding him into the tub.

He knelt beside him, washing his back with a washcloth. "Do you like that, master?" he purred.

Gray grunted in assent. "You're a good slave boy. I'll have to reward you later…" Cliff just hummed happily and continued washing Gray.

The game went on all day, with Gray making up orders for Cliff and Cliff hustling to obey. Cliff finally collapsed on the bed, exhausted, early in the evening. Gray watched him sleep facedown, smiling a little to himself. He read a book for a little while, until Cliff woke up from his nap. Gray set his book aside, and reached out to stroke at Cliff's back. "Good, you're awake. I thought you might miss out on your reward…"

Cliff's eyes glittered, and he sat up. Gray pulled him in for a kiss, moving his hands lustfully over his body. He removed the apron, the only piece of clothing Cliff had been wearing, and threw it aside. He quickly undressed himself, and reached into the nightstand for the lube. Slowly, seductively, he slicked up Cliff's rapidly hardening member, squeezing and pulling at it until it was completely stiff. Then, he did something completely unexpected.

He laid on his back, taking the position that Cliff usually did in bed, with his hips tilted up and his knees bent. Cliff's eyes widened. Gray licked his lips at him. "Come on, I want to try it. It's my birthday…"

Cliff hesitated, biting his lip. Gray narrowed his eyes at him playfully. "Your master commands you, slave boy," he growled.

Cliff moved forward quickly, his face lit up in thrill. He pressed the tip of his manhood at Gray's entrance. Gray gritted his teeth and breathed out harshly. "Mmmm…I want it so bad," he groaned to Cliff. So Cliff eased himself in, his slick hardness sliding slowly into the tight space. Gray's eyes rolled back in his head, and he groaned even louder. "Oh, fuck, it feels so good!" he cried out. Cliff was encouraged to continue, and he pumped in and out. Gray moaned and writhed on the bed, enjoying the new and unusual sensations. He could feel himself swelling, throbbing, from the inside out, and he gasped brokenly as the movements Cliff was making inside of him made him climax powerfully. His release shot up, landing on his own chest, and Cliff watched it, hissing with desire. He bucked his hips faster into Gray, and cried out in ecstasy as the tight friction made him explode deep inside.

They broke apart, cleaning up quickly, and then collapsed onto the bed, holding each other and shuddering with satisfaction. Gray nuzzled his face into Cliff's hair, and Cliff sighed happily.

Cliff spoke up a while later. "You know, my birthday is the 6th of summer. So, you're exactly half a year older than me."

Gray made a noise of surprise. "You never said anything this past summer when it was your birthday!"

Cliff shrugged. "With all that Kai nonsense going on, I forgot about it." He looked sad for a moment. "It's been a long time since anyone's celebrated my birthday, anyway. It's just not a big deal anymore."

Gray put his hand under Cliff's chin and tilted it up. "Hey…you've got me now. I'll celebrate your birthday."

Cliff nodded, then his face lit up mischievously. "Do I get you as a slave then?"

Gray chuckled. "I'll think about it…"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next week, Gray was flooded with requests for the shop. The farm owner, Jack, had been doing some mining in the winter mine, and he wanted some of the jewels he had found to be cut and set in jewelry that he planned to give to Ann for Starry Night. He also was using the forced lull of winter to get his tools upgraded and to have a mayonnaise and cheese maker built. In addition to that, there were normal tool requests from other townspeople. All in all, Gray was overwhelmed.

He worked from sun up to past sundown in the shop, pausing only to eat and sleep. His days were filled with the pounding of his hammer, copious amounts of sparks, and lots of sweat. Gray could tell that Cliff was worried about him, but he had to work as hard as he could. He couldn't risk letting any customers down. Gray also felt guilty that he and Cliff hadn't done anything in days. It wasn't that he didn't feel horny; he definitely did. It was just that he was so exhausted, he literally could not do one more thing in the day.

One such evening, Gray crawled towards the bed and disappeared under the covers, feeling spent. Cliff switched out the light, and slipped into bed after him, snuggling up next to him. Cliff nuzzled his face into Gray's neck, making him shiver happily, but Gray's body was too tired to respond any further. Gray pressed one firm kiss to Cliff's lips, then pulled away, trying to send the message, "I'm sorry, but this is all I can give you right now."

Cliff sighed with disappointment, rolling on his stomach and burying his face in his pillow. Gray felt really guilty then, and tried to summon up what little energy he had left. He took a hand to Cliff's waist, urging him to roll over. Cliff made a little noise and complied. Gray reached down into Cliff's pajama pants, wrapping his strong hand around Cliff's very hard manhood. Cliff sighed in delight, which crescendoed into moaning as Gray stroked at him.

"You like that, baby?" Gray asked him hoarsely. Cliff moaned a yes, and Gray kept pumping. Exhaustion got the better of him though, and his tired muscles eventually gave out. The stroking slowed down further and further until it stopped entirely. Gray's hand was still wrapped loosely around Cliff, and Cliff nudged him. Gray began to snore loudly. Cliff made a squeak of indignation, and moved Gray's hand by the wrist out of his pants, turning away and sadly finishing the job himself.

The next morning, Gray dragged himself out of bed when his alarm clock went off. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, trying to wake up. Glancing over at Cliff, he smiled a little at how peaceful he looked. He was sprawled out, his long brown hair loose and wild. He murmured in his sleep and rolled over to Gray's side of the bed, clutching at Gray's pillow and burying his face in it. Gray smiled wistfully, and crossed the room to go to the bathroom. He noticed a balled up tissue on the floor by Cliff's side of the bed, and he stooped to pick it up and throw it away. As he did so, he felt the slightly stiff texture and realized that Cliff had had to satisfy himself last night. It made him feel strangely sad, but he didn't know how to make things better. There was just so much work to do, and he was the only one who could do it.

Gray got dressed and headed to the other side of the house to set to work. He had finished the mayonnaise and cheese makers, so on today's list of things to do was galvanizing Jack's watering can, hammer, and axe with mystrile metal. He got to it, heating up the ore and hammering it out, then layering it thinly over the tool to be improved. This was something that he was rather good at, so the work went quickly. He finished all three tools that day, stopping briefly to eat lunch with a dejected looking Cliff. It broke Gray's heart, but he just wanted to get his work finished.

Once the tools were done, he laid them in the pick up rack. Moving behind the counter, he glanced at the pick up schedule. He gaped for a moment when he realized that while the makers needed to be delivered today, he actually had three more days to finish the tools. What that meant was – he was free! For a little while, at least. He loaded up both makers on a wheeled dolly and delivered them to Jack's farm, feeling infinitely more cheerful.

Gray hurried back home afterwards, stripping off in the bathroom and taking a quick shower. It was Tuesday, which was one of the days that Cliff helped out at the inn in the afternoon. Gray took the opportunity to take a nice long nap. His body tingled with anticipation as he drifted off to sleep. He had a lot to make up to Cliff…

When he woke up several hours later, it was completely dark in the bedroom. He could smell something wonderful cooking, and he sat up, stretching. He felt totally reenergized, and he strode into the kitchen confidently.

Cliff looked up from the stove, a sad expression on his face. He dropped his eyes back to the food he was cooking, but squealed with surprise as Gray gathered him up in his arms from behind, planting breathy, needy kisses all over his neck. Cliff flailed out, quickly turning off the burner, then melted into Gray's arms. Gray spun him around, backing him up into the wall. His hands were all over Cliff's body, teasing him, touching him, stroking him. Gray leaned in and kissed Cliff's mouth passionately, slipping his tongue inside and moaning into the kiss. Cliff just sighed happily, overwhelmed with happiness.

Gray brought his hands to Cliff's pants, effortlessly getting them open and urging them to fall down. He traced his fingers over Cliff's hardness as he continued to kiss his mouth feverishly. Cliff reached down and hooked his fingers into the waistband of his underwear, tugging them down and allowing Gray to touch his bare skin. Gray broke away to kiss hotly at Cliff's neck, and Cliff hissed with passion. "G-Gray…I need you so bad…" he moaned brokenly, and the sound of it made Gray's own hardness ache. His hands grasped at Cliff's hardness, his thumb rolling over the wetness at the tip, evidence of Cliff's desire.

Gray quickly dropped to his knees, taking it into his mouth, and moaning at the sweet taste. He gripped at Cliff's hips, his fingernails digging in slightly as he squeezed and urged Cliff to rock his hips into his mouth. Cliff whined and moaned in ecstasy, his hands clawing wildly at the wall behind him. "Nnn…Gray...it feels too good…I can't…I can't stop…I'm!" Cliff broke off suddenly as he bucked his hips, releasing into Gray's mouth. He continued to suck gently at Cliff, getting out everything that he could.

Gray smiled lazily as he rose to his feet, kissing the trembling Cliff on the forehead. "I don't know what you're making for dinner, but I doubt it can top how delicious that was," he purred smoothly at Cliff, who shuddered happily.

"It's…eggplant curry…" Cliff managed to say.

Gray brushed his lips past Cliff's ear, humming happily. "Well, it will have to wait just a little longer…" he whispered, then hoisted Cliff up into the air, carrying him into the bedroom. He laid him down carefully on the bed. They both disrobed the rest of the way, and Cliff quickly slicked Gray's hardness down, then laid on his back, getting into position. Gray lowered himself to meet him, pressing the tip of his hardness carefully into Cliff's entrance. Cliff bit his lip as Gray penetrated him, and then they both moaned in delight at the sensation.

Gray slowly pumped in and out, leaning down and kissing Cliff's mouth. "I love you," he breathed. "I'm sorry I ignored you for so long."

Cliff panted. "I love you, too. I understand…you had…your work to do…" His breathing became more labored as Gray thrust harder.

"But…I should never…ignore this…" Gray grunted, grinding his teeth together as his climax built up. "Oh, Cliff!" he cried as he released, trembling violently and pulsing out powerfully. He groaned loudly in delight, then sighed happily. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Cliff's. They stayed together, breathing hard and gazing into each other's eyes.

After a while, Gray carefully withdrew and they cleaned up. As Cliff pulled his underwear back on, he smiled coyly at Gray. "Do you still want your dinner, or was I enough to satisfy you?"

Gray growled happily, pushing him back onto the bed for another kiss. "You satisfied me one way…but I'm still fucking starving! I can't wait to eat!" Cliff grinned, and they headed into the kitchen to eat dinner together.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next day was Winter Thanksgiving. Gray had forgotten about it totally, because it was a holiday he didn't really care about. There was no girl who ever wanted to give him chocolates. Not that he cared, anyway. After completing a few tasks in the shop, he set out for the Clinic to deliver a repaired medical instrument for the Doctor.

Doctor smiled and greeted him, accepting the tool. Gray's eyes roamed to the open box of chocolates on the counter. Doctor followed his gaze, and chuckled softly. "Would you like one? They're from Elli, but I don't really eat sweets, so…" Gray just grunted and shook his head, but then Elli popped up from somewhere.

"Oh, but we insist, Gray." She turned to Doctor, pouting slightly. "He's such a health nut…a little chocolate won't kill you, you know."

Doctor grimaced and fidgeted with his head mirror. "A little won't, sure. But fifty pieces? That's excessive."

Elli rolled her eyes, and picked up the fancy box, thrusting it at Gray. "Come on, eat a few." Gray finally gave in, taking one piece and eating it. He rather liked chocolate, actually, so he enjoyed it. "See, it's good, isn't it?" Elli beamed at him. She glared at Doctor. "Not that some people would know."

Doctor blushed. "I did eat a piece! I did, really!" He sighed. "It's the thought that counts though…it's really nice to know on Winter Thanksgiving that you have a girl that cares about you." He started to turn to Gray for agreement, but became slightly flustered when he quickly remembered that Gray didn't have a girl, and wouldn't probably ever.

Gray just grunted something. "Must be nice…" he said under his breath, then turned to go. He walked home slowly, thinking about the holiday. It wasn't that he wanted a girl just to give him chocolates…Cliff was everything that he'd ever wanted and more. But silly little holidays like this were irritating to a guy like him. Deep down, he really wanted to get that warm fuzzy feeling that all the other guys were getting on Winter Thanksgiving. Gray sighed, pushing his way into the shop and heading for the kitchen to eat lunch with Cliff.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw Cliff bending over the kitchen table with his back to him, intently working on something. The kitchen was a bit of a mess. Gray cleared his throat, and Cliff stood up suddenly, wheeling around with a very red face. "Oh…h-hey…" he said, sounding rather guilty. "You're home already…"

Gray smirked. "What, did you not want me to come home?"

Cliff shook his head furiously, making his ponytail fly around. "N-no…I just…wasn't quite finished yet…um…" He slowly stepped away from the table, revealing what he had been working on.

There was a plate of cupcakes on the table. Half of them were iced, the others were still bare. Cliff looked down at the ground, nervously rubbing his shoe into the floor. "Well, you know what today is…"

Gray surprised him by smiling widely. "Baby, you're such a silly thing," he said as he advanced, wrapping Cliff up in his arms. He kissed him softly on the mouth, stroking at his back. "Thank you…" Cliff just sighed into the kiss, melting a little into Gray's arms.

After a few moments, Gray pulled away and focused his attention on the cupcakes. "Mmm…exactly what I was wanting." He reached out for one, and Cliff shrieked.

"No! Not before lunch! You'll spoil your appetite!"

Gray shrugged. "So what? And you know me…it takes a lot to spoil my appetite." He snatched up a cupcake, devouring it quickly. He smiled as he swallowed the last bite. "Delicious," he proclaimed, and Cliff blushed, then smiled as he looked at Gray's face.

"Ah…you have a little frosting here…" he reached one slim finger beside Gray's mouth, wiping it away. Gray grabbed his hand by the wrist, sucking the frosting off of the tip of his finger. Cliff's face flushed and he bit his lip, moaning softly.

Gray sat back in one of the chairs, pulling Cliff down to straddle him. He pulled Cliff's ponytail loose, running his fingers through his silky brown hair. Then he caught Cliff's lips with his own, pressing against them and then slipping his tongue between. Cliff sighed happily, raking his teeth over Gray's tongue as his own hands traced up and down Gray's sides.

They kissed for some time, touching each other's bodies through their clothing. Gray brought his hands to Cliff's pants, getting them open, and Cliff did the same to Gray, who was fortunately wearing pants and not his jumpsuit that day. Gray worked his large hand inside of Cliff's underwear, his fingers quickly making contact with Cliff's hardness. He pulled it up and out, as Cliff panted with desire, slipping his hand inside of Gray's boxers. He encircled Gray's thick manhood with his fingers, and they both groaned as they stroked lightly at each other.

Cliff brought his mouth down to Gray's neck, kissing it as he breathed hard. "Oh, Gray…" he panted as Gray squeezed him firmly. They touched each other, both throbbing and aching more and more in response to each other's sounds of delight. Gray began to give the low growl that almost always preceded his climax, and Cliff pumped furiously at him. Gray's moans of ecstasy just served to push Cliff closer to the edge, and they both practically screamed as they climaxed within seconds of each other.

They gasped for breath, planting light kisses on each other's faces as they sighed and trembled in satisfaction. Cliff looked down, making a slight pout. All of the release was on his own shirt. Gray chuckled, grasping the hem in his fingers and carefully pulling it over Cliff's head.

"I do more laundry in this house than is even possible…" Cliff whined. Gray just smiled, pulling him in for another kiss as he ran his fingers over Cliff's bare back.

Two days later, Gray finished up another sweat filled day of toiling in the shop. He stripped as he approached the bathroom, greatly in need of a shower. He was tugging off his boxers as he entered the bathroom, and he smiled at the sight awaiting him.

Cliff was leaning back in the large tub, which was filled to the brim with water and bubbles. His long hair was pulled up into a loose bun, and he looked extremely relaxed. He cracked his eyes open a little as Gray entered.

Gray chuckled. "You look so cute." Cliff just smiled softly, closing his eyes once more and slipping a little further down into the bath. His eyes flew open however, as he felt the water sloshing around. Gray grinned at him as he clambered into the tub. "Just what I need, a nice bath!"

Cliff squealed and protested as Gray sat down, splashing water out of the tub as the fluid displaced to make room for his muscular frame. "Nooo! You're all sweaty and stuff! You'll get the water dirty!"

Gray just continued to grin at him. "That's what a bath is for, silly. Now," he said as he thrust the washcloth at Cliff, "Wash my back, baby?"

Cliff rolled his eyes, taking the washcloth. Gray hummed happily and turned his back to Cliff, who scrubbed him down. "Yuck…you really are filthy…" Cliff groaned.

"Yeah, you like it," Gray teased.

"The bathwater's turning all gray..." Cliff sulked.

"Well, that's how I got my name, I dirty stuff up," Gray said, turning his head back to grin at Cliff. Cliff sniffed haughtily, and Gray just smiled wider. "Oh, don't even play like that, baby. You know you like it when I'm dirty. You even said so last night..."

Cliff flushed. "There are two different kinds of dirty!" he protested, wringing out the washcloth.

Gray turned around quickly, his hands sliding over Cliff's body under the surface of the water. "Yeah, and I know which kind you like, don't I?" One hand came to rest on Cliff's rapidly hardening member, and the other went below, tugging gently. Cliff rolled his eyes back in his head, slipping farther down into the water. "Hey, I know it feels good, but don't drown yourself over it!" Gray laughed huskily as Cliff managed to sit up a little more, then he leaned in and kissed at Cliff's neck. Cliff moaned with his lips pressed tightly together as Gray touched him insistently.

"Mmm...baby...I wanna hear you say that you like it..." Gray murmured lustfully in Cliff's ear.

"I like it..." Cliff murmured back.

"Yeah? You like...this?" With that, Gray's lower hand ceased its tugging and went lower, slipping a finger inside of Cliff. Cliff gave a pleased cry in response. Before long, Gray's teasing and stroking made him clench all his muscles, and he cried brokenly as he released. Gray smiled in satisfaction, as Cliff clung to his wet body, trembling.

When Cliff had recovered a little, he looked down at the water and grimaced. "Now the water's even dirtier...I need a shower now," he whined as he stood up and got out. He didn't even bother drying off, he just crossed the room to the shower and stepped in, turning it in full blast. He gave a high pitched squeal as the cold water hit him. Gray roared with laughter from the tub, making Cliff glare at him. "Quit laughing at me, and get out of that nasty tub before your skin rots off," Cliff demanded, and Gray shrugged, unplugging the drain and joining Cliff in the shower. "Oh, are you just going to make this all dirty too?" Cliff pouted, and Gray grinned.

"You bet...that's what I do..." he purred as he stroked lightly at his hardness, reaching out with his free hand for one of Cliff's and urging him to touch it. Cliff tried to keep pouting, but couldn't help smiling as his fingers made contact with Gray.

"You're terrible..." he said, but his tone was happy as he dropped to his knees, taking Gray into his mouth.

"Yeah...baby...nnnn..." Gray groaned, tangling his fingers in Cliff's hair. Cliff continued to suck at him, and within just a few minutes, Gray was bucking his hips stiffly and gritting his teeth. At the last second, Cliff took his mouth off, stroking Gray swiftly with his hand. Gray looked down in a haze of ecstasy to see his release spurting out onto Cliff's chest. He groaned in delight at the erotic display, and Cliff just smiled sexily up at him. The water quickly rinsed away everything, and Cliff rose to standing, embracing Gray around the waist. They sighed and held each other, until Cliff pulled away, grabbing the soap.

"And now, you need to be washed...a lot," he laughed as he scrubbed industriously at Gray's skin. "So dirty..." he murmured, and Gray erupted into laughter.


End file.
